ICCIA Secretary-General praises Qatar's food security efforts

HE the Secretary-General of Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA) Youssef Hassan Khalawi praised Qatar's efforts in food security, which qualified it to rank first in the Global Food Security Index at the Arab level and 24th globally.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), on the sidelines of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security Forum, Khalawi said that while many countries were still seeking to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, Qatar's interest and strategic thinking was on the file of food security.This reflected a thoughtful view of this important and vital issue.He called on the rest of the countries to follow in Qatar's footsteps in this field.He stressed the need to intensify partnerships and co-operation between countries in the field of food security in the coming period to overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic, in order to find appropriate solutions to achieve food security.He said that the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the IOFS and the ICCIA on the sidelines of the forum yesterday would contribute to activating the role of the private sector to achieve food security and investment in it, stressing the need to conclude agreements and partnerships that contribute to motivating this sector to play its role in the field of food security.He added that the pandemic revealed that no country is immune from the risk of food supply shortages, representing new challenges to countries and governments, as well as the increase in transportation and shipping prices, which he said related to strategic commodities, basic foodstuffs, human life and agricultural production needs, which required new measures and more activation of the role of the private sector. (QNA)