Representative Maryam Saleh Al-Dhaen, a member of the delegation of the Parliamentary Division of the Kingdom of Bahrain, confirmed that food security is a high priority within national policies, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the great king of the country, may God protect and preserve him, and with the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, noting that the Kingdom has made food security a major focus in The process of sustainable development and enhancing social stability and public health.
This came during the participation of MP Maryam Al-Dhaen, representative of the Parliamentary Division of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the workshop on “Breaking the Cycle of Hunger: Addressing the Issue of Food Security”, which was organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in cooperation with the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on the sidelines of the work of the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Al-Dhaen explained that food security represents a pivotal issue that intersects with public health, sustainable development, and social justice, stressing the need to adopt comprehensive policies that promote sustainable local production, support small farmers, and develop social protection networks, to ensure that healthy and safe food reaches all groups, especially the most vulnerable groups.
Al-Dhaen stated that the National Strategy for Food Security in the Kingdom of Bahrain represents a comprehensive framework to enhance the strategic stock of basic materials, encourage investment in modern agriculture, and expand international partnerships to secure supply chains, with the aim of raising local production, diversifying import sources, and developing the infrastructure for storage, transportation, and distribution, while enhancing coordination between government and private agencies, and cooperation with international organizations and Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Al-Dhaen stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain has paid special attention to the integration between food security and public health through national programs aimed at supporting sound nutrition for mothers and children and preventing chronic diseases related to nutrition, making food a gateway to health, stability and development at the same time.
Al-Dhaen praised the Bahraini experience in the field of food security, which is consistent with the Kingdom’s international commitments, especially the second goal of the sustainable development goals (eliminating hunger), calling on the international community to unite efforts and build more effective partnerships to combat hunger and ensure the human right to healthy, safe and sufficient food.
Al-Dhaen said that success in achieving food security requires a firm political will and close international parliamentary cooperation to build a more just and sustainable future for future generations.
