Bahrain preparing roadmap to achieve sustainable food security for the future

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s royal directives are underway to form a roadmap and achieve sustainable food security in the Kingdom.

Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, also Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects, said the government is committed to implementing strategic projects to ensure a stable national food production for the future.

He also assured that the Kingdom’s food stocks are adequate during this time of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Deputy Prime Minister made the remarks yesterday at the opening of the “Strategies of Achieving Food Security: Challenges and Opportunities” Forum, which is organised by the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat).

The three-day virtual forum, which will continue until tomorrow, focuses on challenges to food security.

The opening session also witnessed the participation of House of Representative Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal and Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, in the presence of ministers, Shura and Representatives Council members, and other senior officials.

Among the highlights of yesterday’s session were the following:

• Approval of the establishment of a national committee for food security to follow up the strategy and propose policies to enhance local production

• A government company that incubates food security projects and the development of a marine aquaculture centre

• Allocating 26 sites for soilless farming and fish farming projects

• The initiatives to regulate fishing Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah delivered a speech in which he outlined the Kingdom’s strategy and proposed policies to particularly enhance local production.

“The royal directives aim to develop and implement strategic projects for national food production, and invite investment institutions to direct their capital to value-added development areas at the appropriate time,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“The competent government agencies will put in place the executive mechanisms in the shortest period and in the most efficient way in an effort to overcome difficulties and urgent challenges such as those imposed by the pandemic.”

One of the most important lessons learned from the pandemic, the Deputy Prime Minister noted, is to be constantly well-prepared to provide food for all in a sustainable manner at all times.

The Deputy Prime Minister also said that the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects is preparing the National Food Security Strategy, which aims to ensure the sustainable availability of food, encourage the use of innovative production systems, and reduce food waste.

The strategy is nearing completion and will be submitted to the Council of Ministers during the second half of this year for approval.