RIO DE JANEIRO — Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Abdulrahman Alfadley confirmed that Saudi Arabia's participation in the G20 Summit in Brazil comes from its regional and international role in development and environmental issues. He also stressed the Kingdom's leadership in supporting the group's efforts to achieve its goals in addressing challenges such as food security, sustainable development, environment protection and climate change. Alfadley explained that Saudi Arabia focused on enhancing international cooperation, promoting sustainable development, and encouraging innovation in various sectors, to ensure that the G20 Summit achieves its goals, especially since it brings together representatives of the most important economic powers of the world. He also drew attention to Saudi Arabia's efforts to address issues such as food security, agricultural and food trade and price stability, trade restrictions on supply chain and production inputs, and rural development, in order to achieve comprehensive and sustainable global economic stability, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He pointed out that the topics discussed by G20 Agriculture Ministers' meetings included the sustainability of agriculture and food systems with their multiple tracks, enhancing the contribution of international trade to food security, raising the essential role played by family farming, smallholders and local communities in building sustainable, healthy and comprehensive food systems, and promoting the integration of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture into local and global value chains. Regarding Saudi Arabia's launch of the "G20 Water Platform" and sharing global best practices in water management, Alfadley stated that the country presented a global model in raising water issues on the international stage by launching initiatives such as the "G20 Water Platform" and establishing the "World Water Organization". Saudi Arabia continues to enhance its role in facing water security challenges worldwide, he added. All member states affirmed their commitment to making agriculture and food systems more sustainable through technical cooperation, while member states, including Saudi Arabia, supported the Brazilian presidency's proposal to establish a global alliance against hunger and poverty, with the aim of accelerating comprehensive solutions to eradicate it. The Minister of Environment said all member states affirmed their commitment to the importance of family farming, as well as recognizing the urgent need to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, which pose a major threat to the sustainability of global fisheries resources. "Saudi Arabia has worked to activate the digital transformation system by launching several electronic platforms, including the "Nama" platform to provide more than 250 electronic services to individuals and the business sector, the "Agricultural Guidance" platform, and electronic trading and marketing platforms, with the aim of facilitating agricultural activities and businesses," Alfadley said. He indicated that the ministry has implemented strategies to address the challenges of sustainable agricultural development and food security, including the Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, with the aim of enabling small farmers and rural communities to increase their production rates, which had a significant impact on more than 120,000 beneficiaries during 2023. The ministry has worked to facilitate access to financing and raise its rate by 75% during the past four years to enhance agricultural activities, which led to an increase in the agricultural GDP in Saudi Arabia by 35%. Saudi Arabia and its partners have also allocated an initial amount of $10 billion through the institutions of the Arab Coordination Group (ACG), in response to food security challenges in line with the objectives of the Global Food Security Roadmap "Call for Action". The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has also completed more than 900 food security projects in 78 countries around the world, in addition to the Kingdom allocating a financial share to support agricultural investment abroad in countries with a comparative advantage and high production capacity, which are characterized by the abundance of their natural resources, with the aim of achieving joint development and enhancing global food security. Alfadley pointed out that Saudi Arabia recently invited the G20 member states to participate in the Fourth Global Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, which will be hosted by Riyadh this November, with the aim of enhancing the global response to public health challenges. An invitation was also extended to join and participate in the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), which will be held in Riyadh in December 2024, in the presence of officials and stakeholders; to set a path toward a more sustainable and resilient future, the minister said.
