The future of food seems more and more uncertain in the Near East and North Africa (NENA), as it faces growing food insecurity and malnutrition. We can and must act now to address the root causes of this situation and transform the structures governing how what we eat is produced, distributed and consumed.
As things stand now, protracted crises driven by conflict and other humanitarian crisis, as well as a rapidly growing population, are leading to increasing dependence on food imports. These often overlapping risks are also combining with economic shocks to undermine livelihoods and push millions into high acute food insecurity. Poverty, widespread inequalities and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic are exacerbating the situation.
Most importantly, the region faces increasing pressure from the impacts of the climate crisis, extreme water scarcity and the degradation of natural resources, which further aggravate the severity and impact of shocks and erode resilience.
The NENA region has a long way to go to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 – targeting zero hunger by 2030. In 2020, 59.3 million people were undernourished in the region alone, which corresponds to 14.2 per cent of the region’s total population.
Around 165 million of the region’s inhabitants live in rural areas, where the majority of the poor have to put up with inadequate basic services, low opportunities for innovation, limited access to productive infrastructure, services and value chains and a lack of available jobs.
Increased migration to the region’s cities has been fuelling the ever-growing number of urban poor. Many are young people, who often do not find the opportunities they are seeking there.
The NENA region has to cope with structural challenges that make feeding a growing population particularly difficult. The result is that our agrifood systems are failing to support healthy diets. The food provides calories, but insufficient nutrition leading to the triple burden of malnutrition: stunting, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.
We urgently need to transform our agrifood systems to make them more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable. The warning coming from science is unequivocal: simply scaling up is not going to be enough. We need structural change and we need to ensure it happens fast.
The first priority is to bring everyone to the table. Policymakers need to find solutions that can help reshape the future of the agrifood sector in the NENA region. This requires broad partnerships with all stakeholders, including the private sector, academia and civil society, to implement them.
We are now just eight planting seasons away from the 2030 timeline for achieving the Agenda for Sustainable Development. FAO has been advocating the importance of a comprehensive and coherent strategy to achieve these 17 goals, with agrifood systems at the center. Problems and solutions are inseparable. Our natural resources will only be preserved for future generations if we succeed in alleviating poverty and hunger by promoting sustainable agrifood systems and strengthening the resilience of rural communities. We must rethink our agrifood systems to reshape our future.
There is a range of short, medium and long-term actions we can take right now to build sustainable, inclusive and healthy agrifood systems. We must harness the potential of technologies and innovation across agrifood value chains to support rural transformation. There must be incentives, standards and norms to drive changes in patterns of consumption, reducing food losses and waste, scaling up land restoration and reforestation. It is important to set limits for agriculture water withdrawals, while increasing water productivity.
Solidarity and co-operation among countries and regions are key drivers for eradicating hunger
We will not reach our shared goal of zero hunger if the vulnerable are left behind. In countries experiencing complex emergencies, which are often also among the largest food crises in the world, stepping up investment in agriculture as a frontline humanitarian response not only saves lives and protects livelihoods in the short term, but can lay the foundations for future recovery and resilience building. Development efforts must combine with these efforts, engaging with peace and climate actors to secure sustainable transformation of agrifood systems.
FAO has decades of experience working on both humanitarian and development programmes. Through its focus on responses that strengthen resilience, FAO is simultaneously addressing the multiple risks and vulnerabilities facing populations, meeting immediate humanitarian needs and enabling them to be better prepared and more able to cope in the face of the next shock or stress.
Greater solidarity and co-operation among countries and regions are also key drivers for eradicating hunger, ending food insecurity and ensuring sustainability. We need to work together efficiently, effectively and in a coherent manner. Peace is an overarching requirement for many of these win-win solutions.
The FAO will continue to support countries' efforts to collaborate closely with international organizations, academia, the private sector, civil society, international financial institutions and all relevant stakeholder through a number of initiatives such as the Hand in Hand Initiative. FAO is committed to continue supporting members in the region design and implement the policies they need for inclusive productivity growth and food security for all.
The 36th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC36), starting this week, will provide an opportunity for the Ministers for Agriculture from the region to meet in Baghdad on February 7 and 8 to discuss challenges and priorities, and commit to take ownership and actions on transforming agrifood systems for the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Regional Conference is an important path towards the implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 to ensure better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no-one behind.
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Power: 579hp
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Need to know
Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.
Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
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