‘Gulf Forum to Enhance Food Security and Support Small and Medium Scale Farmers’ kicks off tomorrow in Abu Dhabi

UAE, February 28, 2015 – The first ‘Gulf Forum to Enhance Food Security and Support Small and Medium Scale Farmers’ will be held tomorrow (Monday, March 2, 2015) at the Fairmont Bab al-Bahr Hotel in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the UAE. The Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment & Development (AAAID) is organizing the event in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and the Food Security Center – Abu Dhabi (FSCAD). The region’s top-notch agricultural experts and professionals will take part in the forum to discuss the challenges facing small and medium farmers as well as promising investment opportunities in the sector. The Gulf Forum will feature a series of panel discussions and dialogue sessions to look into the latest industry issues and other topics. Among the subjects to be discussed are agricultural production, food waste, investment, finance, research and foreign direct investments (FDI) in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the GCC region as a whole. The event will also showcase the latest advanced equipment and methods for irrigation, soil treatment, and production of agricultural crops that can withstand the region’s harsh climate. This includes the application of nanotechnology in agriculture and food systems. During the event, IFAD will also shed light on its various projects in partnership with various government entities, private sectors and producers to improve agricultural production and help raise the bar in the sector. H.E. Mohamed Bin Obaid Al Mazrowei, Chairman, AAAID, said the forum will enhance the readiness of the agricultural industry and overcome the obstacles facing farmers and producers. The Arab region is seeing increased urbanization which is negatively affecting the industry’s productivity. Farmers are leaving behind their profession in exchange for city life, and this can lead to lower food production and a wider food gap. “The Gulf Forum aims to solve the challenges facing small and medium farmers and encourage direct and indirect investments in various agricultural segments to help provide essential food supplies and achieve self-sufficiency in the Arab World. The GCC region, in particular, heavily depends on food imports to address its needs. We are optimistic that the event will serve as a key step forward to support the ongoing local, regional and international efforts towards promoting food security and encouraging small and medium agricultural projects,” Al Mazrowei added. AAAID is one of the Arab financial institutions established to help achieve food security in the Arab region through agricultural investments, development of resources and agricultural potentials, and application of modern agricultural technologies. Throughout its 37 years of existence, the authority has been working on correlating scientific research and technology development and extending field research in agricultural investment, among others. Its research centres are located in various areas to meet the needs of key technical projects.