PANA | 2 October 2013
Afro-Arab agric ministerial meeting opens in Riyadh
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The second Afro-Arab Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural development and Food Security opened Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with participants agreeing to strengthen Afro-Arab cooperation towards promoting ''sustainable and sensible investment in agriculture and food security''.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the African Union (AU) and made available to PANA here.
Addressing the opening session, Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, underscored the importance of the cooperation.
“We can make the Africa-Arab Cooperation a powerful instrument to enhance trade and investment to the desired levels that match the strong cultural ties, the geographic proximity and the tremendous potential that exist within our regions”, she said.
According to the statement, Commissioner Rhoda Peace took note of the fact that the level of Arab investment in African agriculture has been increasing but could be much higher than what it is today.
“African agriculture and, in particular the food sector, offers a huge potential for trade and investment,” she added.
She reportedly informed the meeting that AU and its member states have reaffirmed that sustainable agricultural growth; food and nutrition security concerns should be effectively and properly addressed to meet the challenges of transformation and development.
''This commitment is demonstrated by the formulation, adoption and subsequent rolling out of an overarching continental framework, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), that guides strategies, policies, programmes and collective actions to enhance agricultural development and achieve food and nutrition security objectives.”
Other speakers were said to have included Dr. Fahad Bin Abdul Rahman Balghunaim, the Saudi Minister of Agriculture and chairman of the meeting.
Afro-Arab agric ministerial meeting opens in Riyadh
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The second Afro-Arab Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural development and Food Security opened Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with participants agreeing to strengthen Afro-Arab cooperation towards promoting ''sustainable and sensible investment in agriculture and food security''.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the African Union (AU) and made available to PANA here.
Addressing the opening session, Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, underscored the importance of the cooperation.
“We can make the Africa-Arab Cooperation a powerful instrument to enhance trade and investment to the desired levels that match the strong cultural ties, the geographic proximity and the tremendous potential that exist within our regions”, she said.
According to the statement, Commissioner Rhoda Peace took note of the fact that the level of Arab investment in African agriculture has been increasing but could be much higher than what it is today.
“African agriculture and, in particular the food sector, offers a huge potential for trade and investment,” she added.
She reportedly informed the meeting that AU and its member states have reaffirmed that sustainable agricultural growth; food and nutrition security concerns should be effectively and properly addressed to meet the challenges of transformation and development.
''This commitment is demonstrated by the formulation, adoption and subsequent rolling out of an overarching continental framework, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), that guides strategies, policies, programmes and collective actions to enhance agricultural development and achieve food and nutrition security objectives.”
Other speakers were said to have included Dr. Fahad Bin Abdul Rahman Balghunaim, the Saudi Minister of Agriculture and chairman of the meeting.
