40th Anniversary of Arab Bread Day
Amman (Jordan), Hybrid Event, 07/10/2024 - 08/10/2024
©FAO
Background
The Arab Bread Day, celebrated annually by the Arab Federation for Food Industries (AFFI), marks the anniversary of the first Arab conference for the grain industry held in Jordan in 1984. This year, we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Arab Bread Day, a significant milestone where FAO joins hands with AFFI to commemorate this occasion. The symposium will explore the challenges and opportunities in the cereals industry, focusing on global and regional implications of production, trade, and consumption.
Objective
The symposium aims to discuss various aspects of the cereals industry, including production, trade, storage, manufacturing, consumption, food security, and nutrition. It will also assess future needs for different types of grains and explore sustainable ways to reduce the grain production gap in the Arab Region.
Areas of discussion
- Local Production and Trade—Import Dependency:
- Sustainable production and trade of cereals in the Arab Region: Addressing the region’s dependency on food imports due to increasing population and scarce natural resources. Emphasis on improving agricultural productivity and adopting new techniques to reduce import dependency.
- Food Security and Nutrition:
- Promoting nutrition and health-sensitive dietary habits of bread consumption: Discussing the importance of repurposing government subsidies towards whole grain bread and balanced food baskets to improve nutritional outcomes and reduce obesity.
- Value Chain—Food Safety & Food Loss and Waste:
- Long-term outlook for various types of grains and establishing modern strategic storage: Focusing on modern storage techniques to reduce cereal losses and improve food safety. Highlighting the need for consumer awareness campaigns to reduce food waste.
- Addressing technical, economic, and administrative challenges posed by climate change: Exploring the technical, economic, and administrative frameworks for cereals in the Arab region and the challenges posed by climate change.
Format and venue
The event will take place in Amman, Jordan, from 7 to 8 October 2024. The event will be held in a hybrid mode with simultaneous interpretation available in Arabic, English and French.
Participation
Officials from public and private sectors, wheat producers, wheat suppliers and importers, bread manufacturers, silos, bakeries, university professors, entrepreneurs, and relevant Arab and international organizations.
Agenta
Time | Topics | Speaker |
| Day 1 | |
8:30 – 9:00 | Registration | |
Opening Session and Remarks | ||
9:00-9:10 | Welcoming Remarks | Mr. Nabil Assaf FAO Representative Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
9:10- 10:00 |
Opening Remarks | H.E. Eng. Khalid Al-Hanifaat Minister of Agriculture Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (TBC) |
H.E. Mr. Atheer Al-Ghurairi Minister of Trade Republic of Iraq | ||
Dr. Haitham Al-Jafaan President of the Arab Federation for Food Industries Syrian Arab Republic Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | ||
Dr. Ahmad Mukhtar Senior Economist, Regional Programme Leader (a.i.) FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa | ||
10:00-10:20 | Group Photo and Coffee Break | |
Setting the Scene | ||
10:20-10:35 | Regional challenges facing cereal production, storage, processing, trade and consumption including import dependency on wheat, Global wheat markets and price volatility, strategies for reducing import dependency, trade agreements and their impact on bread prices. | Mr. Dmytro Prykhodko Senior Economist FAO Investment Centre |
Session 1: Situation and Prospects of Grain Production in the Arab world | ||
Moderator: Reem Nejdawi, Head of the Food and Environment Policy Team, ESCWA | ||
10:35-10:50 | Ways to improve wheat production in Arab Countries | Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Ayed Duwayri Food Security Expert |
10:50-11:05 | Wheat Production and Supply Chains:
| Mr. Ihsan Haq Technical Advisor FAO Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
11:05- 11:20 | Analytical study of wheat crops in the context of climate change in the Arab region | Dr. Aboud Al Saleh Grain Technology Expert Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands Syrian Arab Republic |
11:20 -11:35 | Experience of Iraq (from wheat import country to wheat export country) | Dr. Hayder Noore Al-Karaawi General Manager of the General Grain Trading Company Ministry of Commerce Republic of Iraq |
11:35- 12:30 | Round table discussion: Opportunities to boost domestic wheat production | |
12:30- 13:30 | Lunch break | |
Session 2: Food Security and Nutrition Aspects of Bread | ||
Moderator: George Khayat, Regional Director and Director of the Commercial Office, the Arab Federation for Food Industries | ||
13:30- 13:45 | The role of bread in food security in the Arab region, bread subsidization programmes and the need to repurpose them subsidies towards whole grain alternatives to address the high prevalence of obesity and diabetes across the region | Mr. Tamas Vattai Nutrition and Food Systems Officer FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa |
13:45- 14:30
| Sharing country level experiences on how bread subsidization programmes contribute to food security | Mr. Antoine Seif Head of the Federation of Bakeries Union Republic of Lebanon |
Mr. Aboukhris Muhammed President of Bakers Guild State of Libya | ||
Mr. Samy Ghassan Holail Director General of the Syrian General Organization for Grains, Chairman of the Arab Grains Committee in the Arab Federation for Food Industries Syrian Arab Republic | ||
14:30-14:45 | Examining bread from nutrition perspective | Dr. Lara Nasreddine Professor of Human Nutrition, Co-Chair, Institutional Review Board, Social & Behavioral Sciences, & Coordinator of the Public Health Nutrition Program at FAFS American University of Beirut |
14:45-15:00 | The historical nutritional perspective of bread and its role in human health | Prof. Dr. Moez Al- Islam Ezzat Fares Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences – Applied Science Private University |
15:00-15:15 | Coffee break | |
Session 3: Food Safety and Food Loss and Waste Aspects | ||
Moderator: Awny Al- Klob, President of the Arab Agricultural Forum | ||
15:15 – 15:30 | Bread and cereal products: Main food safety concerns and safety measures | Dr. Moustapha Mohamed Food Safety and Quality Officer FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa |
15:30-15:45 | ACSAD Role in reducing bread waste in the Arab Region through improving specifications of wheat varieties used in the bread manufacturing. | Dr. Ayham Ali Saeed Economist Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands Syrian Arab Republic |
15:45-16:00 | Experience of Jordan in strategic grain storage | Eng. Imad Al-Tarawneh General Manager of the Jordanian Silos and Supply General Company Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
16:00 – 16:15 | The role of the Food and Drug Administration in food safety | Eng. Amjad Abdelrahman Rashaideh Food Director Jordan Food and Drug Administration |
16:15- 16:45 | Round table discussion | |
17:00 | Closing | |
19:00 | Reception | |
| Day 2 | |
| Session 1: Bread Industry and Technology | |
Moderator: Dr. Ahmad Mukhtar, Senior Economist, FAO RNE | ||
9:00- 9:15 | Modern techniques in bread production | Mr. Mohammed Al-Jitan Vice President of the Jordan Chamber of Industry and Representative of the Food and Supply Industries Sector Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
9:15-9:30 | Challenges facing bakeries and mills in Mauritania | Mr. Mohamed Othman Secretary General of the Mauritanian Federation of Bakeries and Confectionery – Employers' Union Islamic Republic of Mauritania |
9:30-9:45 | The reality and challenges of bread production in the State of Palestine in light of blockades | Mr. Bassam Abu-Ghalyuon General Manager of Palestinian Food and Agricultural Industries Union State of Palestine |
9:45-10:00 | Improving bread quality with AI-based formulation Integrating sensory data and consumer preferences | Dr. Moawiya Haddad Head of Arab Committee for Sensory Evaluation Food to the Arab Federation of Food Industries Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
10:00-10:15 | Feedstock Alternatives for Bread Production:
| Ms. Mounira El Hashimi Consultant and grain conversion specialist Arab Federation for Food Industries – Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment Republic of Tunisia
|
10:15- 10:30 | Coffee break
| |
Session 2: Bread Industry and Technology | ||
Moderator: Nabil Assaf, FAO Representative to Jordan | ||
10:30-10:50 | The role of modern bakeries in producing bread
| Mr. Muhammed Jemmali President of Confederation of Tunisian National Institutions Republic of Tunisia |
10:50-11:10 | Product Quality prediction tools | Mr. Tariq Gahi US Wheat Association Kingdom of Morocco |
11:10-11:30 | Microbial quality of flour and bread loaf | Prof. Dr. Ghadeer Mahyar Department of Nutrition and Food Processing at the University of Jordan Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
11:25-11:30 | Fortifying bread with nutrients | Dr. Fadwa Hamouh American University/Maadaba Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
11:30-11:50 | Bread fermentation techniques from traditional to modern | Osama Al-Adwan Royal Medical Services / General Services and Nutrition Division Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
12:15-13:30 | Lunch Break | |
Session 3: Cereal Industries and Technology | ||
Moderator: Mr. Fadi Jabr, Secretary General to the Arab Federation for Food Industries | ||
13:30- 13:45 | Sustainable processing of cereals | Dr. Sobiha M. Saifan Dean, Faculty of Argulture Technology Al Ahliyya Amman University Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
|
13:45-14:00 | Innovations on gluten free grains | Dr. Fatima Al-Hajj Ahmad Faculty of Agriculture technology AlBalqa Applied University Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
14:00-14:15 | Functional Cereals with Enhanced Nutritional Profiles | Dr. Abeer AbdelMajeed Head of Molecular Biology Department National Agricultural Research Center, Biotechnology Research Directorate Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
14:15-14:30 | Coffee Break | |
14:30-15:15 | Round Table Discussion: Supporting farmers, mills, and consumers: Where to start | |
15:15-15:30 | Closing remarks | Mr. Fadi Jabr Secretary General Arab Federation for Food Industries Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
Dr. Ahmad Mukhtar Senior Economist, Regional Programme Leader (a.i.) FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa | ||
Contact
FAO: Hania Ahmed, Policy Specialist (Nutrition and Food Safety) - FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa, [email protected]
Arab Federation for Food Industries: Fadi Jabr - Secretary General of Arab Federation for Food Industries Amman, [email protected]