ACC calls for establishing higher council for food security

AMMAN — The Kingdom is not self-sufficient in any food item, said President of Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Khalil Haj Tawfiq.

“There are no consolidated efforts when it comes to the topic of food security,” Haj Tawfiq told The Jordan Times on Sunday. He noted that  establishing a higher council for food security is a necessity, particularly amid global price fluctuations.

Supporting food self-sufficiency requires a “concentrated” set of strategies that would create a clear approach to future crises. Additionally, it would meet the need for tools and programmes that trigger sustainability in food systems, he highlighted.

Haj Tawfiq, who is also president of the Foodstuff Traders Association, added that the public’s purchasing power is still low and their spending patterns are changing.

Trade Ministry spokesperson, Yanal Barmawi, said that food reserves are sufficient and stable, and noted that “the ministry continuously monitors food prices in the local markets, in order to ensure food availability and price stability”.

Barmawi stressed that there are already policies that ensure that food stock is within safe limits on a continual basis.

UN Secretary General António Guterres said on May 18 that the economic shock caused by the pandemic has compounded food insecurity, leading to the reduction of income and disruption of supply chains.

“We face the spectre of global food shortages in the coming months,” said Guterres, warning that the food crisis has no respect for borders, according to the UN website.