His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, presided over the first panel discussion of the Climate Change Forum, launched by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The event takes place on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the World Government Summit that runs from February 12 to 14 in Dubai.
During his opening speech, His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi stressed that the world desperately needs to achieve quantum leaps in the food industry to reduce the impact of climate change on all walks of life. Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors globally and the one most affected by climate change. The minister noted that population growth rates indicate that by 2050 the world will require about 60 percent more food than we consume today.
His Excellency Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency José Graziano da Silva, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Her Excellency Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, participated in the panel.
The high-level discussion underscored the implications of climate change and its significant effects on our lives, patterns of production and consumption of foodstuffs. The participants focused on the sustainability of food resources, the means to maintain them in the future, the changes the world's governments need to make to address the emerging challenges, as well as quick and effective solutions to building a secure global food system.
His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi highlighted three main areas of focus – food waste, technology and innovation, and raising awareness among the youth. He emphasized that the food and agriculture sector needed the same level of innovation and creativity that have been applied in many other sectors, such as smartphones, transportation and clean energy.
He said: "We are wasting one-third of the total food that we produce, which is equivalent to US$2.6 trillion at the global level, and US$4 billion in the UAE. Hence, we need to make food consumption more efficient, just like we have done with energy consumption. Scientists around the world today are working on creating advanced technologies to increase the efficiency of food production, such as vertical agriculture, which grows crops using 99 percent less water, while biologists seek to produce milk and meat without cows. In our Museum of the Future exhibition that accompanies the World Government Summit, you will see a future where parking lots will be converted into fresh food farms."
His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi added: “The issue of the future of food is vast and complex, but joining forces will make a difference. Therefore, we need to educate ourselves and raise awareness among all segments of society, especially young people, about the innovative methods of agriculture, food production and consumption. We must re-invent the food industry to attract a new generation of farmers and food entrepreneurs."
His Excellency Tshering Tobgay presented the efforts of his country in the area of agriculture, food safety and environmental conservation. He said: “The forests cover approximately 72 percent of the area of Bhutan, and about half of the country is rich in natural reserves. We are working on the development and implementation of various strategies to protect the environment. The most important element in our commitment to cooperation with the countries of the world is our effort to preserve the environment and minimize the impact of climate change. We have launched a ‘Bhutan for life’ project in collaboration with our strategic partners to act as a fund to support our efforts to make Bhutan a global model in forest protection."
He added: “Although Bhutan is surrounded by mountains and we have limited agricultural land, 64 percent of the population include farmers who are severely affected by climate change that threatens their livelihood. Therefore, we are keen to enlist the international community in uniting efforts and committing to agreements aimed at achieving food security and reducing the impact of climate change, such as the Paris Agreement.”
Speaking on how to adapt to climate change, His Excellency José Graziano da Silva said: "We must be more efficient in the consumption of available resources. Agriculture, for example, consumes 70 percent of the water around the world. We also need to change our food consumption patterns to focus on local production and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
He added: "The world needs a political commitment from governments to raise awareness among farmers, provide financial support to them, and train them in the use of modern technologies in agriculture. Another important measure is promoting research and development of innovative solutions to global challenges, such as rising ocean levels that jeopardize our fresh water resources.”
For her part, Her Excellency Patricia Espinosa said: "I must reiterate the vast significance of the Paris Agreement, ratified by 198 countries around the world as clear evidence of the international trend to adopt practical steps towards a radical and comprehensive transformation that will minimize the impact of climate change.”
She added: "The private sector has a pivotal role in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement – governments cannot act alone. Fulfilling the world’s aspirations of green economy requires a lot of investment to establish sustainable development projects and create green jobs.”
The World Government Summit 2017 attracted more than 4,000 people from over 139 countries, and witnessed the participation of 150 speakers across 114 sessions. Participants include dignitaries and experts from the public and private sectors around the world, in addition to ministers, decision-makers, CEOs, innovators, officials, entrepreneurs, academic figures, and university students. The summit is launching several initiatives, reports and studies during throughout the year.