Shantel
UPL Ltd. (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070 LSE: UPLL) (‘UPL’) a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, will support a renewed commitment to strengthening developing world food production, storage, and supply chains with a ‘food security’ programme.
The agreement was reached at the inaugural Earthna Summit in Doha, Qatar, with the governments of Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia alongside the Commonwealth Secretariat. The sessions were also attended by representatives from Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future, AGRA, United Nations Development Programme, CGIAR, Chatham House, EMBRAPA, and the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak.
The Summit aimed to build new sustainability pathways for hot and arid environments as part of global efforts to address the moderate or severe food insecurity faced by one-in-four people globally. The summit sought to align South-South efforts and create a dedicated food security programme for producing and importing countries in Africa, India, and Latin America.
UPL contributed to the creation of this ‘food security’ programme through open plenary session and closed-door technical discussions, in which experts agreed to explore a new working methodology for food security. This included ensuring developing farmer resilience, capacity building, and creating demonstration plots for climate resilient crops.
Jai Shroff, Group CEO of UPL Ltd., said: “Our contention is clear: no one has food security until everyone has food security. And the key to security is farmer resilience. The results of our discussions in Doha show that there is new urgency to address food security and new energy among developing world nations to agree on approaches that will deliver real results. We look forward to announcing our roadmap with Earthna and to developing initial projects across Africa as part of our Reimagining Sustainability mission and OpenAg commitment to collaboration.”
Gonzalo Castro de la Mata, Executive Director of Earthna, said: “It is essential that the global community works together to encourage and enable self-sufficiency at national and international levels. I am delighted that at the Earthna Summit 2023, heads of state, QF’s Earthna and other partners have come together and committed to a new collaborative approach to enhance food security. I am confident that this programme will lead to lasting and impactful action, and make a significant contribution to these country’s fight against climate change.”
A technical white paper will be prepared for the launch of pilot programmes in Zambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia.
About UPL
UPL Ltd. (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070, LSE: UPLL) is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, with annual revenue exceeding $6bn. We are a purpose-led company. Through OpenAg®, UPL is focused on accelerating progress for the food system. We are building a network that is reimagining sustainability, redefining the way an entire industry thinks and works – open to fresh ideas, innovation, and new answers as we strive towards our mission to make every single food product more sustainable. As one of the largest agriculture solutions companies worldwide, our robust portfolio consists of biologicals and traditional crop protection solutions with more than 14,000 registrations. We are present in more than 130 countries, represented by more than 10,000 colleagues globally. For more information about our integrated portfolio of solutions across the food value chain including seeds, post-harvest, as well as physical and digital services, please visit upl-ltd.com.
About the Earthna Summit
Global sustainability discussions have been shaped by issues primarily relevant to tropical and temperate countries. Less attention has been placed on hot and arid environments and deserts, and a perception has emerged that these environments are less relevant to sustainability. The 2023 Earthna Summit will seek to challenge these understandings and build new sustainability pathways for hot and arid environments. The Summit will convene global, regional and local policymakers, thinkers, business and industry leaders, and academia. It will start to dispel these erroneous understandings and highlight the critical adaptation needs of these countries, as well as the major contributions that energy-rich countries such as Qatar can make towards energy transition and addressing climate change. https://www.earthna.qa/summit/summit-2023
About Earthna Centre
Earthna is a non-profit policy research and advocacy center, established by Qatar Foundation (QF) to provide a holistic view of environmental, social, and economic prosperity. Our roots are anchored in supporting Qatar’s ambition to enhance sustainability through our work, which aims to inform and influence national and global sustainability policy. We bring together Qatar’s wide community of technical and research experts, government departments, policy and decision makers, businesses, multilateral institutions, and civil society, and collaborate with leading international institutions to enhance the depth and breadth of the country’s sustainability efforts. Our name – Earthna – has a significant link to our work. In Arabic, إرثنا embodies the essence of sustainability, a prosperous future for Qatar and humankind, a legacy of harmony with the planet. In English, Earthna recalls the fundamental purpose of Mother Earth as the giver of life and provider of sustenance to human societies. https://www.earthna.qa/about-us
Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development. QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development. QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all. For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa
