Environment & Energy | Monday 2 February, 2015 7:46 am |

The Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) officially announced in a press conference on 1 feb. the launch of ‘Gulf Forum to Enhance Food Security and Support Small and Medium Scale Farmers,’ which will take place on March 2, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. To be held under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the forum is being organized in partnership with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and Food Security Centre in Abu Dhabi.

The event will attract wide participation from private and public organizations and other stakeholders in the Gulf region’s agricultural sector. It will provide a strategic platform for participants to discuss ways to promote food security by supporting small and medium scale farmers and providing innovative solutions to industry challenges.

During the one-day conference, high-level attendees will hold in-depth discussions on pressing agricultural issues and challenges in a bid to achieve positive change in the region. The AAAID, along with IFAD, aims to ramp up food security efforts within the framework of cooperation and collaboration among partners involved in economic development.
H. E. Mohamed Bin Obaid Al Mazrowei, Chairman of AAAID, said: “This forum will be held in response to the GCC countries’ desire to attain food security, an issue of high importance and priority in the region. In cooperation with regional and international organizations and private companies, GCC countries have been implementing key initiatives to bridge the widening food gap that we have been witnessing over the years. The region aims to create innovative solutions to solve all issues facing food production sustainability.”

Al Mazrowei added: “The forum will provide a platform for the participants to discuss immense investment opportunities at the regional and global levels, with special focus on investing in and promoting agricultural research to increase food production. It will also shed light on the important role of small and medium-scale farmers in regional agricultural development.”

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 in the Arab World. The authority has been working on correlating scientific research and technology development and extending field research in agricultural investment, among others. Its research centers are located in various areas to meet the needs of key technical projects.