Oman to host global food security conference

Muscat: The International Conference on Food Security, Agriculture Sustainability and Pulses will be held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, from December 5 to 6 under the auspices of Dr Fuad bin Jaafar al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. During the International Conference, the food security road map for the Sultanate of Oman will be discussed creating awareness on food security, agriculture sustainability, nutrition and economic benefits of pulses and investments and innovation within food cultivation, production and industrialisation.
The conference, organised under the auspices of Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and supported by Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, the Public Authority for Food Stores and Reserves, Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Centre, The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, Oman Water Society including various apex government and corporate bodies, is actively responsible for Oman National Agenda for developing the agro food sector. Emphasis on productivity and development of Oman’s agro food industry, sustainable cropping systems and investments by government and corporate to ensure sustainable food security system will be addressed.
Dr Amani al Rawahi, Chairperson of the Conference Organising Committee said that the current year is declared as the year of pulses by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. The conference will focus on the role of pulses in human nutrition, antioxidants/anti-inflammatory and anti-genotoxic effects of pulses and their role to solve human ailments will be indicated and recommendations on utilisation of pulses in Oman will be made. Economical background and overview with highlights on consumption patterns, trade and production potential of pulses with emphasis on Oman, economic importance of pulses and commercial harvesting of pulses are among the important topics to be discussed in this conference.
Dr M Mohamed Essa, the Conference Scientific Committee Chairperson, mentioned that valuable papers will be presented in the conference including Agriculture Sustainability by Dr Rashid al Yahyai, Dean of College of Agriculture and Marine Sciences at the Sultan Qaboos University; Food Security Road Map by Engineer Saleh Amour al Shanfari, CEO, Oman Food Investment Holding and Chair of Food Security Committee at OCCI. Pulses its Consumption and Health benefits will be presented by Netherlands based Dr Stoffer Loman, Senior Consultant in Nutritional Science and Regulatory Affairs, a world renowned expert backed by medical knowledge and multi country regulatory experience, specialising in international health claims.
This is the first time that the Omani Agro Food Industries CEO’s and chief nutritionists will benefit by listening to Dr Stoffer Loman of NutriClaim, who has agreed to the popular request and will deliberate on ‘getting health and nutrition claim right’, which is very important for the Omani agro food manufacturers who are now exporting Omani products to international food markets.
Sadiq Ahmed Khan, Managing Director of Tafani Events and Research, said that the conference is timely with the large scale investments happening in Omani Food and Agriculture sector. Such large scale Agro industrialisation creates demand for increased agriculture activities to provide the raw material. This event aims towards integration of government, research and corporate sector which will come together and achieve the goal of developing both cultivation and production through agro industrialisation.