First Lady Saajidha Mohamed on Monday stressed on the importance of climate resilient agriculture for the Maldives.
The First Lady made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the Climate Resilient Agriculture for Food Security in the Maldives conference, jointly organised by the Maldives National University (MNU) and the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS).
Speaking during the ceremony, the First Lady noted that Maldives imports 90 percent of the food it consumes.
The crippling of the global supply chains during Covid-19 pandemic, according to First Lady Saajidha laid bare the significance of ensuring food security in the Maldives.
However, she also noted the numerous challenges faced by local farmers due to climate change such as global warming and high salinity in groundwater of most islands.
The First Lady insisted that the Maldives needs to find ways to overcome such climate change related challenges to establish a climate resilient agricultural system.
Highlighting the present difficulties faced by local farmers to market and supply their produce, First Lady Saajidhaa also stressed on the need to find solutions to such challenges in order to ensure sustainable agricultural practices.
“We are an island nation. So we face difficulties in taking the produce of our farmers to markets where there is demand. So we need to find sustainable markets for our produce,” she said.
The First Lady said President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s ambitious initiative to plant five million trees during his term is testament to his commitment to ensuring food security in the Maldives by enhancing its agricultural sector.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided USD21.95 million in financial assistance to the Maldives to ensure food security in the country. This programme aims to introduce Climate Smart Urban Farming to the Maldives and teach its techniques to farmers in Haa Alifu Atoll and Addu City.