Sustainable Food Security Planning

Pouria Tabatabaei-Pour, CEO of Middle East Arman Trade Development, emphasized at the iranGrain International Conference that food security is a responsibility extending beyond the present. He highlighted that challenges such as sanctions, currency transfer barriers, structural inefficiencies, and outdated agricultural systems threaten the stability of food supply chains in Iran.

Domestic production of grains and livestock inputs currently falls short of demand, and factors like drought, soil erosion, low productivity, and insufficient investment exacerbate the crisis. Tabatabaei-Pour stressed that meaningful private-sector participation is essential for effective policymaking and sustainable solutions.

He also noted the urgent need to upgrade infrastructure, ports, and food storage systems while attracting domestic and foreign investment to ensure reliable food supply for current and future generations. Planning for long-term sustainability and intergenerational equity, he concluded, requires collaborative decision-making between policymakers, producers, farmers, and investors.