MATERA, Italy — Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Bin Fadhel Al-Ibrahim said the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the stability of global food security, dealing a devastating blow to the poorest families in almost all countries with the effects expected to continue through 2022. He added that an increasing number of countries face severe and escalating levels of food insecurity which practically leads to the loss of the developmental gains achieved during the past years. The Saudi minister made the remarks on Wednesday during his participation in a joint ministerial meeting of foreign and development ministers of the G20 in the southern Italian city of Matera. He also participated in a separate meeting of development ministers. The joint ministerial meeting focused on strengthening the efforts of the G20 countries to achieve global food security and obtaining the necessary political support to take concrete measures to confront the food crises arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. "We must think of innovative plans that can provide food for everyone, everywhere, every day, by focusing on food security and food safety, through a series of policies and regulatory reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and integration of local food markets around the world," Al-Ibrahim said. The meeting resulted in the Matera Declaration of the G20 of foreign and development ministers, which focused on reaffirming the commitment of the G20 to address current food emergencies and work to build resilient and sustainable food systems, with the aim of achieving a world without hunger by 2030. Saudi Arabia confirmed its support for the declaration and the efforts of the G20 to encourage partners and concerned parties to cooperate or join the food alliance. "Today, more than ever, we need to make efforts to achieve a development agenda with a greater impact, and the challenges of the pandemic represent an opportunity to restore momentum by activating the positive impact of inclusive policies, " the Saudi minister remarked. He added: "We affirm our support for the Italian presidency to move forward and expand our collective influence at this stage that presents challenges and historical opportunities for the G20, and we look forward to continuing this progress during the Indonesian presidency next year."
