Damascus-Sana
Specialized dialogue workshops were launched today in Syrian universities under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the National Union of Syrian Students in order to network between the Faculties of Agriculture and the relevant institutions to enhance the role of home family farming in achieving food security and family stability.
The two-day workshops simultaneously in universities (Damascus, Aleppo, Tishreen, Al Baath and Euphrates) aim to contribute to setting a national standard that includes the definition of family farming, its scope of work and its enabling environment, as well as re-evaluating government programs and projects related to family and home farming and identifying gaps and gaps that accompanied the implementation of these Projects, submit proposals in this regard, and support efforts related to linking the university with society.
The workshops also aim to increase the link with research and studies centers and educational institutions to carry out scientific experiments and tests in the light of these initiatives, which provides the technology necessary to develop these crops and possible alternatives, in addition to helping rural families to expand the scope of work to secure the main needs of food commodities by investing in family farming. .
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Damascus University, Dr. Abdul Nabi Bashir emphasized in the opening speech that family farmers in Syria possess unique capabilities to promote transformational changes in how crops are grown, produced and processed, so they must be empowered and supported in reaching diverse, innovative and dynamic agricultural systems.
In turn, Eng. Omar Al-Jabaei, member of the Executive Office of the National Union of Syrian Students, explained the importance of shedding light on the agricultural reality that is going through many difficulties due to the repercussions of the terrorist war that Syria was subjected to and the ensuing economic blockade and unjust coercive measures in order to benefit from academic experience in this field and develop Small and medium enterprises, rehabilitation and development of infrastructure in the agricultural sector.
Eng. Irfan Ziada, Director of Agriculture in Damascus and its countryside, pointed out the importance of the workshop in terms of uniting efforts to lay down scientific foundations and methodology for the national project for family farming and to activate it in various governorates.
In Homs, Dr. Abdel-Basit Al-Khatib, President of Al-Baath University, pointed out the necessity of applying scientific research related to productive and agricultural processes at this stage and supporting the needs of researchers and projects that serve the national economy and achieve linking the university with society, while Dr. Muhammad al-Masri, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Al-Baath University stressed the importance of expanding the scope of family farming to secure Main needs for food commodities, reducing unemployment, creating new job opportunities and helping to improve livelihoods.
In turn, Ali Hammadi, head of the Al-Baath University branch of the National Union of Syrian Students, saw that the workshops constitute a link and communication between the union and the ministries of higher education and agriculture to arrive at studied scientific plans and strategies.
Dr. Raeda Ayoub, Director of Rural Women Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Director of the National Program for Family Farming, indicated that 57,110 families benefited from the National Family Farming Program, which was a free grant for eight varieties of winter and summer vegetables and an irrigation network indicating the importance of coming up with recommendations that serve applied research through different categories. New agricultural and advanced techniques in irrigation and harvesting.
Dr. Laila Al-Dahhak from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Hama emphasized the importance of networking between the concerned authorities to reach the most important crops, develop them and improve them in order to achieve food security, especially in light of the current circumstances.
In Aleppo, Dr. Maher Karman, President of Aleppo University, drew attention to the necessity of reaching new ideas for developing agriculture and achieving food security, while Yasser Jawish, head of the Aleppo branch of the National Union of Syrian Students, pointed out the importance of recommendations that will be drawn up at the end of the workshop according to specific strategy and time plans, while the graduate student pointed out in The Faculty of Agriculture, Eng. Abdo Abu Bakr, pointed to the need to implement all the new ideas put forward on the ground.
In Lattakia, participants in the workshop emphasized that the family farming project improves living conditions, contributes to achieving developmental support, and has great economic, social and living importance.
The participants pointed out that the importance of family farming to face the repercussions of the so-called "Caesar Law", pointing to the importance of networking between institutions and the need to work on implementing the outcomes of this workshop on the ground.
In Deir Al-Zour, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the Euphrates University, Dr. Omar Abdul-Razzaq, confirmed that the workshop provides an opportunity to exchange many scientific and theoretical experiences and ideas related to family farming that are in the interest of developing and advancing the experience, while the head of the Euphrates University branch of the National Union of Syrian Students Al-Munthir Daham pointed out the importance of Highlighting the role of universities as partners in promoting family farming and supporting agricultural development.
The Director of Deir Al-Zour Agriculture, Eng. Mahmoud Al-Hayy, stated that this workshop comes within the framework of the efforts made to promote family farming as the key to a food system that achieves sustainable development goals.
The workshops are attended by the ministries of agriculture, agrarian reform, local administration, environment and water resources, the General Peasants' Union, the Agricultural Engineers Association, the Federation of Chambers of Agriculture, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, the Syrian Agricultural Bank, public and private micro-finance institutions, experts and specialists in family and home agriculture.