Syria participates in the Regional Forum on Accelerating Transformation of Food Systems in Arab Region in Amman

With the participation of Syria, represented by a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, the Regional Forum on Accelerating the Transformation of Food Systems in the Arab Region kicked off in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on October 30 and 31. The forum is organized by the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the World Bank.

During his participation in a dialogue session, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Dr. Fayez Al-Miqdad, head of the Syrian delegation, highlighted  the importance of this meeting in opening the door to discussion among stakeholders regarding food security in Arab countries. He noted that the basic rules for enabling the transformation of food systems and improving food security levels in the region are based on three main points: the first is underlining the need to facilitate intra-Arab trade; the second focuses on supporting investment in technology, scientific research and technology transfer to address the challenges facing the path of transforming food systems, such as climate change, limited natural resources and their deterioration; the third is the need to build real, integrated companies between the public, private and civil sectors, and the need for integration between Arab countries, which collectively possess many financial, human and natural resources.

Minister Al-Miqdad confirmed that the priorities of work for Syria focus on improving the performance of value chains for agricultural products, investing in agricultural projects that reduce emissions and contribute to protecting and maintaining the ecological systems of natural pastures and forests, building partnerships and concluding agreements between Arab countries to facilitate the flow of goods between them, achieving economic integration and empowering rural communities as the main driver in the development process.

The forum will be attended by concerned ministers, national food systems coordinators, food security experts, academics, development banks, partners, the private sector, civil society members involved in food systems transformation from the Arab region, regional and international organizations, and representatives of regional and national organizations.

Inas Abdulkareem