Over the years the State of Qatar has made great progress in ensuring food security in the country, increasing local production of foodstuffs as well as diversifying the sources of food imports.
The Ministry of Municipality and Environment held a national food system dialogue this week as part of country’s preparations for the United Nations Food Systems Summit to be held next month.
The UN summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems. Addressing the national dialogue, Minister of Municipality and Environment and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie said the government has successfully implemented measures to increase local production of food and increase strategic food storage facilities, which can provide essential food supplies for six months.
The Qatari government’s successful initiatives have resulted in ensuring 100 percent availability of basic foodstuffs, while also ensuring high quality and affordability, on a daily basis, and at all times, including times of crisis and emergency. In recent years, the country has also cut reliance on food imports as a result of increased local production, especially of vegetables, dairy, poultry, and seafood.
In some commodities, Qatar is now 100% self-sufficient, a remarkable feat given the challenges of harsh climate conditions. As the Minister highlighted, ensuring global food security also depends on protecting the environment and tackling the climate change.
“The issue of clime change should not be addressed only by expanding the use of renewable energy, but these efforts should extend to food systems, which account for at least 30% of the problem related to the food we consume and food production methods,” he said.
Some highlights of Qatar’s steps to achieve sustainability in the food security sector include using treated wastewater to produce green fodder, which helps in addressing depletion of ground water reserves; and introduction of sustainable fish farming, which relieves pressure on the local fish stocks.
Several initiatives have also been launched to cut food wastage in the country, in line with the SDGs, which aim to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. The country has diversified its sources of food imports and upgraded and streamlined storage and supply chains as well as logistics capabilities at the ports and the airports.
As a result, the country successfully handled the situation arising from the global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
As the UN convenes the global summit, a collective approach is needed to make our food systems resilient, sustainable, equitable and healthy for the planet and its inhabitants.
