The Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafi, discussed with the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Alaa El-Din Farouk, in the presence of the President of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, Professor Ibrahim Adam Al-Dukhiri, the existing preparations for the Arab-European Agricultural and Food Security Conference and Exhibition entitled: "The Arab-European Partnership in Food Security", during the period 2-4 February 2025, in Cairo (Egypt International Exhibition Center) - Arab Republic of Egypt, where the conference will be accompanied by an exhibition of companies working in the field of agriculture, modern agriculture and food industries.
During the meeting, they discussed the importance of establishing a project to link small agricultural producers with technology, European companies, and Arab investments.
The Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers pointed out that the Arab-European Food Security Conference, scheduled to be held next year, comes as a continuation of the success of the Egyptian-European Investment Conference held during the last period.
During the meeting, it was stressed the need to pay attention to small Egyptian agricultural producers, and the desire to increase the volume of Egyptian agricultural exports and agricultural products to reach an ambitious figure exceeding $ 20 billion in the coming years, as well as the integration of 5 million farmers included in Egyptian agricultural holdings and linking them to the European and Arab agricultural investment and business community, thus helping to create more job opportunities for small producers and help them use modern agricultural technology related to digitization.
Dr. Khaled Hanafi explained that it is very important for the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture to be one of the cooperating bodies in organizing this event and for His Excellency the Minister to be a speaker at the opening and it is useful to hold a specialized session on Egypt.
It was suggested that His Excellency the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture invite his Arab counterparts to participate in a ministerial session specialized in food security and agriculture and that the ministry have a pavilion in the exhibition.
Dr. Khaled Hanafi noted that the conference will be organized by the Union of Arab Chambers, the League of Arab States, and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, in cooperation with the Green Hub Foundation and Egyzone, and the conference will be accompanied by an exhibition that allows European and Arab companies specialized in displaying agricultural machinery and equipment and modern technologies, to introduce the latest innovations in the agricultural field.
He said that the conference aims to strengthen Arab and European cooperation in the field of food and agricultural security by highlighting the opportunities and challenges faced by Arab countries and inviting the private sector to contribute to achieving food security through sustainable investments, innovation, and global partnerships. In addition to exchanging experiences and transferring technology in the fields of smart agriculture and water management, developing investment partnerships in the agricultural sector, and developing human capabilities through training and scientific exchange, with the aim of achieving sustainable food security.
The Secretary-General revealed that the conference will represent a platform for the formulation and conclusion of several agreements to enhance integration between the Arab and European public and private sectors in the fields of agriculture and food security. Especially since ministers, senior officials, and businessmen in the field of agriculture and food security from the Arab and European sides will participate in the event. As well as the Arab Chambers, Arab Organizations and Federations, and the Joint Arab-Foreign Chambers.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)