JEDDAH: Global food production needs to increase by at least 70 percent by 2050 and possibly double by then, while using less land and water resources as well as ensuring that the environment is not polluted, Dr Amit Roy, president and CEO, International Fertilizer Development Institute, said in his keynote speech on Thursday, the second and final day of the GPCA Fertilizer Convention held at the Intercontinental Festival City, Dubai. He urged delegates to invest in the development of next generation fertilizers, adding that this will improve efficiency and productivity of agriculture while conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. The first day of the GPCA Fertilizer Convention focused primarily on food security and the impact it could have on feeding the world where the population is projected to increase to 9.2 billion in 35 years. Khalifa Al Sowaidi, chairman of the GPCA's Fertilizer Committee, underscored in his welcome address in the first day the importance of increasing safe food supplies and ensuring that fertilizers played a significant role in output. Sowaidi informed the delegates that in 2011, the GCC, which is already responsible for 16 percent of the world's total nitrogen exports, will start producing and exporting phosphates. He added that Saudi Arabia has the capacity to produce 2.9 million tones of diammonium phosphate, equivalent to 18 percent of the world DAP export market. David Dawe, senior economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, emphasized the role of fertilizers in future agricultural production and specifically addressed the challenge of feeding 9.2 billion people by 2050. He charted out the various opportunities that exist for the private sector to deliver improved technologies provided they are not too labor-intensive and listed the advantages of choosing the right fertilizer options. Fahad Alsheaibi, executive VP Fertilizers at SABIC, discussed his company's contribution to fertilizer capacity and food security and elaborated on the fundamental role that the Middle East fertilizer industry plays in managing global food concerns. In his presentation, he outlined some regional and global food initiatives designed to tackle these issues. The GCC plans to increase their production of fertilizers to meet the increasing global demand. Beginning in 2011, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will also start producing and exporting phosphates, adding another of the primary nutrients to the GCC fertilizer exports arsenal. Saudi Arabia currently has the capacity to produce 2.9 million tons of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) product representing 18 percent of the DAP export market. The UAE is expanding its production capacity of urea and ammonia and aims to double production by 2012. By 2015, the region will play a more important role in securing the supply of fertilizers to the global market, in particular India, which is the largest market for fertilizers, he added. Saudi Gazette __
