ABU DHABI – The Food Security Center - Abu Dhabi (FSCAD) is set to discuss ways of enhancing food security in the context of the current regional developments as part of the Abu Dhabi Food Security Roundtables, to be held on the sidelines of the three-day 8th edition of SIAL Middle East.

Set to kick off on Dec. 12, 2017 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the expert-led sessions will draw the participation of senior government officials, CEOs, and specialists in food security and explore potential partnership opportunities between the government and private sectors to achieve the region’s food security goals.

Khalifa Al Ali, Managing Director of FSCAD, said: "In convening the annual Abu Dhabi Food Security Roundtables, FSCAD seeks to reiterate the importance of food security as a strategic component of our national security. This is especially relevant in the context of the current regional developments.”

He added: “The countries in the GCC region in general and the UAE in particular, are highly vulnerable to the challenges of food security due to the limited availability of arable land, scarcity of water resources, rapid population growth and the high cost of agriculture, among other factors. Such challenges mandate greater collaboration between our public and private sector entities, and the development of long-term policies and strategies that contribute to improving agricultural productivity, while also taking necessary steps to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.”

Abu Dhabi Food Security Roundtables will comprise two sessions. Titled ‘Regional developments and their impact on food security in the countries of the region’, the first session coincides with the opening day of SIAL Middle East 2017. It will highlight the crucial obstacles that prevent the establishment and growth of food commodity supply chains in the region, as well as the environmental, economic and social impact of these obstacles. The session also aims to provide solutions and recommendations to help overcome the challenges and identify key alternatives that can be implemented to achieve food security. Furthermore, it will examine the role of response plans and their activation mechanism in addressing these challenges.

The second session, to be held on Day 2 of SIAL Middle East under the theme ‘Government and private sector partnership model for enhancing food security in the region’s countries’, offers a unique opportunity for officials, experts and decision makers to exchange views and best practices on combatting food security challenges in the UAE and region, and highlight the vital need for strategic partnership and greater integration of efforts between the public and private sectors in formulating food security policies.

As one of the most important tools that can be leveraged to promote and ensure national food security, the UAE is keen to step up synergies between the two sectors in developing national food security strategies. — SG