Saudi Arabia urged the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly to pay greater attention to a long-term agricultural development to avert global food insecurity caused by desertification and droughts. Saudi Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd bin Abdulrahman Balghunaim delivered the speech of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development in its 16th session in New York on Wednesday. He said that such long-term solutions would ultimately be more productive than supporting emergency situations alone. “Despite the importance of supporting emergency situations (to fulfill food needs), the international community should place greater importance to long-term agriculture development through the support for international organizations,” Balghunaim said. Balghunaim referred to the work done by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). Saudi Arabia recently donated $50 million to IFAD, a U.N. agency that assists developing countries with low-interest loans and grants to combat hunger and poverty. --More
