A report was published by “Regional Agro-Industries Forum” which was held on 5 November 2011 and which was organized by FAO in collaboration with UNIDO and under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture. The report stresses that the consolidation of agricultural production in the Middle East & North Africa regions is a critical priority in order to meet the increasing demand for food as well as curtail the nutritional deficiencies, create new job opportunities and realize pro-poor economic growth.
The report was disseminated by the UN communication office in Cairo highlights the key issues that were discussed by governmental representatives in the meeting in addition to representatives of the private sector, expert from international financial and international organizations. The recommendations noted in the report include strategic policy interventions related to sustainable development and promotion of agricultural industries. The report points out to the obstacles which hinder agricultural production namely poor coordination and collaboration between the private and the public sector, limited skilled labor, constraints on the infrastructure leading to insufficient and inadequate policies as well as limited incentives to support agricultural production and local economies.