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Speakers
Session Chair
Dr. Suliman Ali Al-Khateeb, Director General of Plant Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture of Saudi Arabia (MEWA)
Keynotes
Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist, FAO
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Turki, Chairman, National Agriculture and Fisheries Committee & Chairman, Agriculture and Water Committee, Riyadh Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Michael Baum, Acting Deputy Director General Research and Research Team Leader - Breeding and Scaling Improved Varieties of Dryland Cereals and Pulses at the Morocco Research Platform Manager, ICARDA
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, Professor, King Saud University & Technical Advisor, Estidamah
Mr. Sattam Al-Mezyad, Director for Agricultural Investment Abroad, Saudi Arabia Agricultural Development Fund
Key messages
1. The agricultural sector in the KSA is challenged by low efficiencies in production and marketing.
2. There is a shortage of skilled labor [1] which makes the transition to technologically advanced agronomic systems (e.g., greenhouse crop production systems [2] and precision agriculture) is infeasible in many contexts.
3. Farmers in the KSA are generally slow to adapt to new technology and are not given sufficient incentivize to modify their practices. [3]
4. High pre- and post-harvest losses and unstable market prices limit profitability for farmers.
5. Food production in the KSA faces extreme environmental challenges, including limited availability of arable land, deteriorating vegetative cover, and very scarce rainfall. [4]
6. Low efficiency in water utilization in agriculture and dependence on scarce and non-renewable water sources make the future of agriculture in the KSA extremely uncertain.
7. Dependence on food imports [5] combined with a lack of diversity in the national portfolio for agricultural investments abroad means food insecurity, especially in the context of climate change and geopolitical instability.
Recommendations
Food Production Systems
1. Emphasize the development and optimization of special agricultural products (SAPs) [6] which have high-added value and are suitable to be grown in the KSA climate (e.g., dates, coffee, tropical fruits, honey, and roses).
2. Leverage agricultural biotechnology, namely genetic engineering of crop plants, to enable allow the KSA to efficiently localize the production of some strategic crops.
3. Rehabilitate rain-fed agricultural terraces to sustainably increase local food supplies.
4. Stockpile strategic commodities based on market information, such as rice, barley, maize, wheat, and dates.
5. Strengthen agricultural extension services through capacity building, creation and utilization of digital tools, and adapting best practices to the KSA context.
6. Establish centers for environmental information and data, livestock excellence, and marketing services for small farmers and producers.
7. Develop and promote startup for controlled environment agriculture for youth engagement.
8. Promote and continue safe production of food (e.g., Saudi G.A.P.)
9. Improve crop yield and quality through crop optimization, and improved seed varieties development using state of the art technologies.
10. Develop coherent soil strategy to support soil health and fertility management system.
11. Harness the potential of 4th Industrial revolution to promote solutions for monitoring, remote handling, automated harvesting etc.
12. Increase production of animal-based products and improving local breeds.
13. Modify crop mix to further reduce cultivation of fodder in favor of high-value crops.
14. Establish norms and platforms for data sharing and technology sharing in the agricultural sector.
15. Promote agroforestry via the Saudi Green Initiative.
16. Build up a skilled work force in the agricultural sector to enhance the chance of success for new innovations that will increase agricultural productivity and efficiency.
Food Processing and Marketing
17. Develop “Foods of the Future” sector like plant based alternative dairy and protein products, cultured meat that is lab grown, insect-based proteins as feed and food, algal protein, fermented protein, and CO2 based proteins.
18. Develop better tools for food track and traceability.
19. Develop and promote digital marketplace and electronic marketing platforms for food products.
20. Establish educational and training programs for capability building in strategic focus areas in food processing and marketing.
Trade
21. Pursue market-based food security which diversifies import sources.
22. Encourage Saudi companies in the food sector to expand their portfolios overseas, prioritizing productivity, environmental sustainability, and political stability.
23. Develop a food security early warning system.
[1] 2% of the KSA labor force is employed in agriculture as of 2019 (International Labour Organization ILOSTAT database)[2] 6% of vegetables are grown in greenhouses, while 89% are grown in open-field systems (National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Estidamah)). 12% of greenhouses in the KSA use modern mechanically-powered evaporative cooling systems, while the rest are passively-cooled tunnel structures (National Research and Development Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Estidamah)).[3] More than 70% of food producers in the KSA are small farmers (FAO)[4] 2.4% of land in KSA is arable, and of that 1.2% is rain-fed permanent grassland (FAO)[5] 80% of food consumed in the KSA is imported as of 2019 (World Bank WITS database)[6] “Special agricultural products (SAPs) are agricultural products with special qualities and unique characteristics coming from specific geographical areas and cultural heritages, which contribute toward food security, economic growth, and environmental protection and rehabilitation” (FAO)
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