Lending a helping hand for sustainable food systems (FAO and Zubair SEC)
As drivers of innovation, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can play a critical role in achieving food security, improving nutrition and helping to make our current food systems more inclusive and sustainable. However, when it comes to food systems transformation, it’s important to ensure that these enterprises have a seat at the table - and this is where Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) comes in.
Zubair SEC, a social impact initiative by The Zubair Corporation, joined forces with FAO in 2020 to strengthen the role of MSMEs in achieving food security in the Sultanate of Oman. The organization provides comprehensive support to Oman’s small enterprises, including clinical solution-based advisory services, capacity building, networking platforms, business development, and a yearly programme that selects ten winners who receive a financial grant.
The partnership aims at enhancing the involvement of MSMEs in transforming food systems in Oman, by engaging them in multi-stakeholder dialogues and impactful capacity development initiatives which offer the opportunity to share knowledge, good practices and lessons learned with others. FAO and Zubair SEC also support the MSMEs in integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches into their work, and in identifying income-generation opportunities which have the potential to improve food security and nutrition in the Sultanate in a sustainable manner.
Such opportunities feed into all three aspects of sustainability - economic, social, and environmental. Encouraging the use of e-Commerce platforms helps smallholder farmers find new markets for their produce; creating a market for women farmers promotes social inclusion and offers new opportunities for women-led micro-businesses; expanding production of locally-produced organic vegetables helps to promote healthy diets for the local population without adverse effects on the environment. Together, FAO and Zubair SEC ensure that MSMEs have the tools they need to grow their businesses while meeting local demand for sustainably-produced, healthy food.
Zubair Small Enterprises Centre, a social impact initiative by The Zubair Corporation which supports Oman’s promising small enterprises, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FAO in 2020. The partnership aims to strengthen the capacities of small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate of Oman, focusing on nutrition-sensitive value-chain development, business and financial skills, and engagement of SMEs in multi-stakeholder dialogues on sustainable food systems.
