The session was moderated by Ismail Serageldin, co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, AzVision.az reports.
Speaking at the session, former Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt Adel El-Beltagy said climate change is seriously affecting agriculture, creating a number of problems.
The former Mauritian president, Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, underlined the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Agricultural land covers a large area in Africa, and this potential must be used effectively,” she added.
The other speaker - Nina Fedoroff, former Science and Technology Adviser to the US Secretary of State, said climate change is causing serious problems in the Caribbean.
“We must focus on biology and genetics, as well as on the cultivation of drought-tolerant agricultural products. It is important to apply innovations in biology and technology to agriculture. We need 30 years to implement innovations in agriculture. As a result of new technologies, we can increase the productivity of farms. In this regard, the experience of the Netherlands is obvious,” she said.
Addressing the panel session, Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), emphasized the need to diversify the food sector.
She pointed out the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the poverty rate on a global scale.
Moderator Ismail Serageldin said about 2.5 billion people in the world are affected by drought.
“There is a need to ensure the effective use of Africa’s potential in a bid to prevent migration from this continent to Europe,” he added.
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