Berlin – Represented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Oman’s delegation was headed by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary for Agriculture.

His Excellency stressed in his speech that the Sultanate of Oman has sought during the past period (2021-2024) to adopt an investment program for food security, in effective partnership with the private sector. It is working to implement 314 investment projects in the sectors of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and water, with a total investment value estimated at RO 1.266 billion. These projects are expected on to increase productivity, replace some imported goods, create added value, and provide job opportunities for Omani youth, in line with Oman Vision 2040.

His Excellency explained that the current version of the conference focuses on agriculture for a sustainable bio-economy, where agricultural investments and practices are directed to achieve a balance between meeting human needs for food and natural resources and preserving the environment for future generations, enhancing the bio-economy by relying on the use of biological resources in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.

He pointed out that studies indicate that climate change and population growth are among the most important global challenges to food security. Countries, at the local and regional levels, require the support of international organizations to adopt innovative and sustainable technologies to improve agricultural productivity, use smart agriculture and organic farming technologies, reduce food loss and waste by improving supply chains, enhance food diversity and increase awareness of healthy nutrition, and use renewable energy in agriculture to reduce costs and achieve sustainability, in addition to programs and projects to empower women and attract youth to agricultural work.