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  • Saudi Arabia’s US$10 billion investment to tackle food security

    The Saudi Agricultural Development Fund plays a crucial role by supporting local farmers with substantial loans, focusing on staple crops such as barley, maize, and soybeans. These efforts are integral to reducing reliance on imports and ensuring a steady supply of essential commodities.

  • Saudi anti-corruption agency finds hidden, destroyed evidence in food poisoning cases

    Initial investigations into the recent cases of food poisoning reported in Riyadh found that several attempts had been made to conceal or destroy evidence, Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said in a statement on Thursday.

    The investigation suggested potential collusion by a small number of food inspectors who prioritized personal gain over public health and safety, the statement added.

  • Saudi Arabia’s 60-Year Battle for Food Security

    For over half a century, food security has been a strategic issue for Saudi Arabia. More recently, the 2008 food price crisis and the 2020 food supply disruptions gave Saudi decision makers a taste of what the future might look like in a climate-changing world, as two of the most salient issues will be access to drinking water and food – essential resources the kingdom sorely lacks. With 90% of its land unfit for agriculture and 70% of its water coming from desalination plants, water and food security can look like an unwinnable battle for Saudi Arabia.

  • Food-poisoning patients released from intensive care, 25 discharged from Riyadh hospital

    More than half of the patients who contracted food poisoning caused by the clostridium botulinum bacteria last Thursday were released from intensive care and 25 discharged from a local hospital, the Ministry of Health reported on X. The ministry’s spokesperson Dr. Mohammed Khalid Alabdulaali confirmed that the only source of the contaminated food was from the local Hamburgini fast-food restaurant chain.

  • Saudi foundation launches initiatives to combat food waste

    A raft of initiatives aimed at minimizing food waste has been launched in Saudi Arabia. The Grace Preservation Foundation’s strategic programs were unveiled at a ceremony to coincide with recent International Day of Zero Waste celebrations in Riyadh. The launch event was attended by Saudi Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing Majed Al-Hogail, along with senior officials and board members.

  • Israeli airstrike on Gaza kills seven working for food aid NGO

    Citizens from Australia, Britain and Poland were among seven people working for celebrity chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on Monday, the NGO said.
    The workers, who also included Palestinians and a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, were travelling in two armoured cars emblazoned with the WCK logo and another vehicle, WCK said in a statement.

  • Gaza’s entire population facing acute food insecurity, Blinken warns

    Gaza's two million people are experiencing "severe levels of acute food insecurity", US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. This was first time an entire population had been so classified, he said when questioned by the BBC about conditions in the territory. Mr Blinken called on Israel to prioritise providing for those in need. UN agencies have said north Gaza could face famine by May without a pause in the fighting and a surge in aid.

  • Saudi foodtech Barakah raises investment from FoodLabs

    Barakah, an online marketplace addressing commercial food waste in the region, proudly announces the strategic funding led by FoodLabs. This landmark investment marks FoodLabs' first foray into the MENA region, highlighting Barakah's exceptional growth trajectory and commitment to sustainability.  FoodLabs, a highly successful early-stage European VC specialising in foodtech and agritech startups, has an impressive portfolio that includes being the first investor in multiple unicorns and instrumental in building the fastest-growing European unicorn. The decision to partner with Barakah not only sends a strong market signal for startups in the Kingdom and across the MENA region but also aligns with FoodLabs' mission to support innovative ventures tackling pressing global challenges using proprietary technology. 

  • Millions of Sudanese go hungry as war disrupts food supply

    A mother who skips meals so there is enough food for her two children. A 60-year-old man who eats one meal a day – a lump of dough made of flour and water. People venturing out from their homes in a desperate search for food at the risk of being hit by artillery shells. Dozens of accounts like these gathered by Reuters show how many people are going hungry in parts of Sudan worst hit by the war that erupted last April, including areas in the capital Khartoum and in the western region of Darfur. The number of Sudanese facing emergency levels of hunger – one stage before famine – has more than tripled in a year to almost five million, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a globally recognized food security index, opens new tab.

  • Biotechnology solution could be key to unlocking Saudi food security

    Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have devised new techniques that can produce nutritious microalgae in industrial volumes, which could interest countries looking to diversify themselves off imported feed products and promote domestic food security. Algae is recognised as a superfood that can be grown cheaply with just sunshine, carbon dioxide and water. However, cultivation at scale is difficult meaning its potential has yet to be realized. Scientists working at KAUST’s new Saudi Center for Algal Biotechnology Development and Aquaculture, have developed their own Spirulina​ and Chlorella​ strains of algae which is uniquely adapted to seawater. The innovation dispenses with the need for freshwater and makes the production of livestock feed cultivated from algae sustainable and economically viable.