The transformation of Saudi Arabia's food systems has contributed to an increase in agricultural production over 11 million tons, the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli stated. Eng. Al-Fadhli made the remarks during the Kingdom's speech at the UN Food Systems Summit held between July 24 and 26 in Italy, which he delivered in a session entitled "Food Systems Transformation in Practice — Successes, Challenges and the Way Forward." The minister has also stressed the Kingdom's commitment to and support for international efforts to build food systems that contribute to achieving sustainable development goals. He noted that the world faces many challenges in food supplies, which requires greater cooperation and joint action among the world's nations, as well as a commitment to the pathways of achieving sustainable transformation of food systems. Eng. Al-Fadhli noted that the success of the transformation of the Kingdom's food systems had increased the financing of agricultural investments by about 1,000% over the past five years, and enhanced the volume of agricultural loans to some SR7 billion in 2022. This is in addition to allocating SR12 billion to the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, stimulating the private sector to diversify sources of food import, and building strategic sustainable food reserves. All these factors played a role in boosting the Kingdom's agricultural production to more than 11 million tons, achieving a surplus in products and price stability, and increasing the rates of self-sufficiency for many basic commodities. — SPA
