Maghreban states determined to secure food security in the region
Maghreb, Agriculture, 2/9/2001

Maghreban ministers of agriculture and food security voiced commitment to guarantee food security in the region and to shield Maghreban people against any harmful farming and food product.

The Maghreban officials who held here Wednesday the 10th session of the Maghreban food security commission-- under the chairmanship of Algerian agriculture minister, Saed Barkat, whose country is holding the rotating chairmanship of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)--also expressed determination to cooperate with other Mediterranean countries to set up mechanisms and programs to fight pollution in the Mediterranean sea.

The ministers of agriculture and food security of the five Maghreban countries and the UMA secretary general warned against the dangers of desert encroachment, drought and pollution on natural resources and pledged to draft common and complementary programs to fight the phenomenon.

Participants who pondered on the weak productivity of the Maghreban agriculture sector surveyed the negative effects the opening of the Maghreban agricultural sector will have on the health of consumers as well as on vegetal and animal wealth if Maghreban countries do not adopt a standardized legislation and devise means for an efficient control at the borders.

Debates covered a set of other issues, including means of preserving sea resources and sea environment, ensuring food security, promoting inter-Maghreban agricultural products exchanges and enhancing the competitiveness of Maghreban enterprises operating in the agri-business sector.

The commission recommended further backing to agronomic research networks mainly those dealing with arid regions and proposed the creation of a Maghreban fund to promote such networks.

The commission recommendations will be submitted to the council of foreign ministers due to meet in Algiers after Eid Al-Adha (Immolation feast) by mid March. The 11th session will be held in Algiers.

The Rabat session was held pursuant to a decision last January of the five countries' foreign ministers in Yaounde on the sidelines of the 21st France-Africa summit. It is the first in a series of sectoral commissions scheduled to convene in three other Maghreban capitals: human resources, infrastructure and economy and finance in the course of the current month respectively in Mauritania, Tunisia and Libya.

The UMA was set up in Marrakesh in 1989 by Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Its mechanisms have been however paralyzed for years due to strained relations between member countries, and especially between Morocco and Algeria over Algiers' direct involvement in the Sahara issue.

Previous Stories:
  Maghreban food security commission meets in Rabat   (2/7/2001)
  Maghreban agricultural policy updating meeting winds up   (9/28/2000)
  Cattle breeding accounts for 30 percent of Morocco's agricultural GDP   (5/7/1999)

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