Egyptian Minister of Agriculture, el-Sayed el-Qoseir, participated on Sunday in the first Arab Conference on Climate and Sustainable Development.
Titled, ‘Green Life’, the conference is held in Cairo and headed by Senate Speaker, Justice Abdel Wahab Abdel Razek, who is also the chief trustee of the Arab Court of Arbitration.
The conference brought together a host of cabinet ministers, development partners and the representatives of some Arab and international bodies and institutions.
Minister el-Qoseir said the conference came at a delicate time as far as sustainable development is concerned.
Food security, he said, is at the heart of this issue, especially in the light of the crises and challenges that face the international community.
He referred to Covid-19 and the current war in Ukraine as some of these crises.
“These crises have greatly affected economies across the world by disrupting international trade and affecting supply chains,” Minister el-Qoseir said.
He added that the same crises had reduced productivity in the agricultural sector, raised the prices of goods and caused shortages in some countries.
The minister noted that these conditions limited countries’ abilities to provide sufficient food for their peoples.
All this confirms, he said, that funds alone are not sufficient to achieve food security for peoples.
He described climate change as the ‘decisive issue’ of the present time.
“The global effects of climate change are wide-ranging and unprecedented in terms of scale,” the minister said.
He added that climate change is increasing the ferocity of wild weather in many areas and the melting of polar ice caps and rising sea levels.
All this, he said, leads to an increase in drought severity, desertification and soil deterioration and a decrease in rains.
The minister added that climate change is also leading to a significant change in agricultural and food systems.
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