AgTalk: Food-Energy-Water Nexus

ICBA AgTalk series hosts: H.E. Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish, Director General of OFID.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning,

First, I would like to begin by thanking Dr Elouafi for inviting me to speak to you today on a very important issue - “The Energy-Water-Food Nexus,” a holistic approach to development that has recently moved up the global agenda. As a matter of fact, we came to know about the significance of the nexus several years ago through OFID’s work, especially in the field of energy and now this subject constitutes the main theme of my institution’s strategic plan for the coming decade.

Hence, please allow me to structure my speech into three points:
First, I would like to begin by introducing OFID, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the institution I have the honour to lead.
This will lead me to my second point about how our work in the energy sector brought the nexus to our attention.

My final point concerns why the nexus approach is more essential than ever in strengthening energy, water and food security.
I will close by providing several on-the-ground examples of OFID’s partnerships in nexus work.