Within the framework of its national vision and the National Food Security Programme, the State of Qatar, pays great attention to the food security and the issue of securing food needs for its population and beyond to peoples in countries facing draught and shortage in food supplies.
Qatar’s participation in the “Global Food Security Call to Action” Ministerial Conference in New York recently comes within the framework of its strategy and commitment to food security that promotes health and sustainable production at national and global levels.
The conference is prompted by the current hike in food prices globally, as commodity prices increased by a third compared to the previous year.
More than two years ago, if the food supply disruption was due to measures put in place to control the spread of COVID-19, today “Global Food Security Call to Action” is attributing the massive shortage and rise in food prices to the war in Ukraine.
No doubt the war in Ukraine has destabilized global supply chains, sending food prices soaring, as Russia and Ukraine together provide around 30 percent of global wheat exports and around fifth of the world’s maize.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) and World Economic Forum reports, the higher costs are putting poorer populations at risk in countries reliant on imports.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi pointed in his speech at the “Global Food Security Call to Action” Ministerial Conference that the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crises and the conflict in Ukraine exacerbate the global food crisis and threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Al Muraikhi noted that Qatar focuses on providing support that combines human side, sustainable development and peace.
Qatar places food security at the forefront of its priorities and it does not hesitate to provide a helping hand and assistance to countries facing food shortages or starvation. A fact that underlined by H E Al Muraikhi is the State of Qatar in November 2021, signed an agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) for a contribution of $90m to help meet urgent food security needs in Yemen, where conflict, economic decline and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are putting millions in danger of slipping into famine.
The State of Qatar has also established a strategic partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation worth $200m, dedicated towards agriculture, climate resilience and economic development projects in dry lands in Africa, and a similar partnership was made with FAO to help launch major development projects in vulnerable rural communities.
