The "Arab Forum for Digital Transformation and Smart Agriculture Technology - Challenges and Opportunities" was held at the headquarters of the Union of Arab Chambers under the patronage and presence of His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture of the Lebanese Republic, Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan. Jointly organized by the Union of Arab Chambers, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, the Union of Arab Banks, and the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) – Bahrain.
The forum witnessed a remarkable presence from Lebanon and Arab and foreign countries, led by the Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafi, President of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Ibrahim Adam Al-Dukhiri, Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Banks, Dr. Wissam Fattouh, Head of the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - Bahrain Dr. Hashim Hussein, Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan Emmanuel Calenzi, Representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for Science and Technology And innovation Dr. Mohammed Sharif, in addition to the participation of personalities and delegations from Arab and foreign countries.
The Minister of Agriculture, His Excellency Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, stressed, "It is no secret to any observer or researcher that by the year 2050, the world will face the challenge of food security and its significant shaking, and therefore it is required to move towards doubling food production through the balanced and fair use of natural resources. Hence, it was necessary to think about developing a modern agricultural approach that adopts new technology away from traditional sectors and integrating modern and digital technology with agricultural operations and food production chains to move agriculture from its tradition and monotony to cyberspaces and fusion in digital life.
"Agriculture is one of the most important sectors directly related to human security, providing food. It is the second largest source of employment after the modern services sector," he said, adding that "at present, there is a major role for digital transformation that brings government sectors and companies closer to business models that rely on digital technologies in innovating services and products and providing new channels of revenue that increase the value of their products."
He said: "Digital transformation does not only mean the application of the use of technology, but it is an integrated program that affects the work of governments and institutions mainly internally and externally as well and contributes to linking government institutions and all sectors to each other."
"There is a growing need to teach farms how to use modern farming techniques that can make farming easier, affordable, and cheaper. It also helps us to warn in advance of any crisis and thus reduce losses to the sector." Pointing out, "Digital transformation and smart agriculture technology are among the most important challenges facing the sector at present. As these technologies provide great opportunities to improve crop productivity and reduce agricultural costs, they also face some challenges and difficulties in application and reliance on them, including high cost, lack of knowledge, technical obstacles, security concerns, and reliance on digital sources."
He concluded: “We in Lebanon are looking forward to a real partnership with you through twinning and partnership between sectors.. We are the bearers of a message in this East, in both its Maghreb and Levantine sides, a message of openness, partnership, and interaction, as difficulties and crises know no borders, and food security is a title of cooperation, not disagreement. We from Beirut assure the world that we have experienced complicated crises and emerged from them strong, and creative with the determination of our people and the will to live together, and we look forward today to the region's exit from its political and food crises within the logic of cooperation and interaction between the countries of our Arab world.”
Khaled Hanafi
The Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafi, stressed, "The Corona pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the structural obstacles facing food security have significantly affected global supply systems, and resulted in high fluctuations in the prices of basic food commodities." Considering that "If production processes continue on the old traditional patterns, it is expected that by mid-century, the region will need to import 55 percent more grain than it currently imports, which will significantly increase its import bill and put it at the mercy of volatility prevailing in global markets."
In his speech, Dr. Khaled Hanafi warned, “Over the next decade, the Arab countries collectively are expected to become the largest net importers of foodstuffs on a per capita basis and the second largest in absolute terms. Food self-sufficiency rates will continue their long-term decline for almost all food commodities, with the exception of meat products, vegetable oil, and sugar.”
He said, "We must think about feasible and sustainable options, through the use of modern technologies and in smart agriculture, by strengthening the role of the private sector and encouraging it to digital transformation to develop sustainable agricultural practices, improve rural development programs, and adopt sustainable solutions for the future of agriculture and food security in the Arab region. This approach will certainly help us to guide the necessary measures and agricultural systems to effectively support the development and ensure food security in a changing climate."
Dr. Khaled Hanafi considered that "smart agriculture is the main pillar to achieve Arab food security, and achieving it requires strengthening agricultural economic integration, genetic improvement of crops, governance of natural resources management and production requirements, creating an attractive climate for investment, using advanced agricultural technology, and optimizing the use of surface and groundwater resources."
He pointed out, "Agricultural technology has differed and has become dependent on the agricultural industry and not agriculture in its traditional concept only, and the message of the Union of Arab Chambers, which includes the business community responsible for most Arab production and employment, including food, is that it is necessary to focus on different modern alternatives to approach the issue of Arab food security based on digital transformation and smart agriculture."
He stressed, "We must take advantage of the huge opportunities offered by digitalization to enhance Arab cooperation in this field and to overcome the difficulties facing productive investors, especially through the launch of creative initiatives and platforms that promote Arab food production. As we are currently partners in both the "Arab Industrial Products Requests and Proposals" platform with the Arab Industrial Development Organization, and the "Arab Food Hub" platform with the Arab Federation for Digital Economy."
Hashim Hussein
Dr. Hashim Hussain, Head of the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Bahrain, said: "An annual investment of US$ 265 billion is needed globally to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty and hunger eradication in particular, and therefore US$ 140 billion of this investment must be focused on the agricultural sector. In contrast, the Arab region will meet 63 percent of its calorie demand through imports by 2030, making it more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations."
He continued, "In a related context, the World Bank noted that in the Arab countries, we are exceptionally dependent on food imports, especially wheat and other basic grains. Half of the food is imported in the MENA region, and this percentage rises to 90% in the GCC."
"In light of these challenges, joint action is necessary to stimulate investment in the agricultural field, develop traditional agricultural mechanisms and train farmers to use modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and computer programs that rely on mercy," he said.
He said, "Our Arab world is full of young energies, financial capabilities, and expertise that enable us, through specialized programs in the field of entrepreneurship and institutional growth, to transform them into productive and economically active individuals in the agricultural field and agricultural processing through incubation mechanisms, accelerators, and research centers."
Ibrahim Adam Al-Dukhiri
The President of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, Professor Ibrahim Adam Al-Dukhiri, pointed out, "The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development completed three strategic files during the Arab Summit in Algeria in November 2022, namely the sustainable agricultural development strategy, the pastoral resources development strategy, and the Arab program for sustainable food security. Which in their entirety are documents that promise a lot in achieving the organization's goals set for it, which are sustainable agricultural and rural development, and sustainable Arab food security."
"The overall programs adopted by FAO to implement the three documents focus on several concepts, including the development of agricultural - entrepreneurship, the development of value chains, the digital transformation in smart agriculture, and working with the public sector, private sector, and civil society to maximize opportunities," he said.
He stressed, "We do not see a way to achieve the set goals except through effective and productive partnerships with all partners at the country, regional and global levels."
Wessam Fattouh
For his part, the Secretary General of the Union of Arab Banks, Dr. Wissam Fattouh, stressed in his speech, "In light of the changes that the world is witnessing, there is a need to support investment in innovation. As new concepts in business that have found their way strongly in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution contribute greatly to enhancing the private sector's approach to investing in the field of sustainable development. This applies especially to entrepreneurs, who must be nurtured by frameworks of cooperation between Arab chambers of commerce and banks. It is also important to create new financing instruments such as Green Bonds and Emissions Swap Bonds to help through purchase, trading, and exchanges finance projects that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and the green economy."
"It is important to adopt modern laws for partnership between the public and private sectors in the Arab countries, in accordance with the foundations of sustainable development, with the importance of coordination among them by formulating a general framework for this among the countries of the League of Arab States. It is essential for banks to develop expertise in financing partnership projects due to their role and the qualitative expertise needed by this type of investment. Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and Lebanon have all passed modern partnership laws, and other Arab countries have yet to follow. It is also very important to establish an Arab coordination framework in this area," he said.
There was also a speech by the Director General of the Islamic World Organization for Education, Science, and Culture delivered on his behalf by the Director of Science and Technology in the organization, Dr. Muhammad Sharif. Also speaking at the opening session of the forum was the Regional Director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, Emmanuel Calenzi.
