The Ministry of International Cooperation held a multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) on the supply sector titled “Sustainable Value Chains: Towards Food Security” in the presence of H.E. Dr. Ali Moselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trading; several multilateral and bilateral development partners; and private sector representatives. The MSP aims to put forward the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trading to enhance sustainable value chains and to discuss opportunities of development cooperation for the next phase, as well as to discuss future opportunities of collaboration with international partners. The MSP was held in presence of Major General Sherif Bassili, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos & Storage (EHCSS); Eng. Ashraf Al-Jazayeri, Chairman of the Chamber of Food Industries; Ms. Elena Panova, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt; the Economic Adviser to the German Embassy; ​​and representatives of several development partners, including the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). International partnerships in the supply sector created 13,000 jobs H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, affirmed that the joint MSP aims to strengthen international partnerships across various sectors and to maximize the development impact. The Minister pointed out that the constant cooperation between the Ministry of International Cooperation and the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trading aims to to follow up on the progress of projects funded by development partners, and to coordinate efforts to identify priority areas of cooperation during the upcoming period in order to support Egypt’s strategy to achieve food security and develop sustainable value chains. Al-Mashat added that the development cooperation portfolio for the supply sector amounts to about $128.8, with the contribution of development partners such as the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the OPEC Fund for International Development. The Minister further explained that these funds have contributed to achieving development impact in 27 governorates and helped in supporting the supply system’s capacity in order to optimize the usage of resources and to overcome annual losses that result from poor storage conditions. These funds have also helped in the inauguration of 11 silos with a storage capacity of 645 thousand tons, in addition to the inauguration of two warehouses for storing wheat with a capacity of 100 thousand tons, as well as creating 13 thousand job opportunities. The Minister also added that the development funds provided by the Ministry to the supply sector aim to support the implementation of several SDGs: SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 8: decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Al-Mashat reviewed the future steps of the MSP for the supply sector, where targeted work groups will be formed to discuss priority issues identified by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trading. These work groups will highlight challenges previously faced and propose their solutions, identify requirements for technical cooperation, suggest potential areas of cooperation in the short and long terms, and create integration between development partners supporting the implementation of the supply sector projects and aiming to expand successful experiences. 4 pillars in the strategy for developing a sustainable value chain in the wheat sector For his part, H.E. Dr. Ali Moselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trading, emphasized the importance of the work carried out by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade as it directly affects people’s lives and leads to ensuring social stability, since the Ministry serves about 70% of society. Moselhi applauded the collaborative efforts put by the state ministries in support of the Egyptian government’s development agenda across several sectors. Al-Moselhi presented the Ministry's strategy to promote sustainable value chains and food security by working towards achieving self-sufficiency regarding strategic food commodities, such as wheat, which comes at the top of the list. He pointed out that Egypt produces 8-9 million tons of wheat on an annual basis, whereas the volume of consumption rate is 18 million tons; hence the country fills the gap which is estimated at 9 - 10 million tons per year, through imports. Minister Moselhi stated that the Ministry is working on a strategy of 4 pillars to enhance the sustainable value chain in the wheat sector through: production, transportation, logistics and consumption. The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trading collaborates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation to increase productivity of the lands and farmers. In addition, it also seeks along with the Ministry of Transport, to facilitate the shipment of wheat in order to save fuel, and to reduce costs and depreciation rates. As for the logistics, H.E. Moselhy explained that the Ministry is working towards expanding soils to increase the silos' current capacity, develop the infrastructure management system, and to establish strategic warehouses; in pursuit of food security. Eng. Ashraf Al-Jazayeri, Chairman of the Chamber of Food Industries, also stated that Egypt has succeeded in maintaining food security during the COVID-19 pandemic, which enabled successfully overcoming the global crisis through continuous joint cooperation between food manufacturers and various government entities. For her part, Ms. Elena Panova, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt, expressed her aspiration to strengthen partnerships that would support Egypt in achieving food security by providing support to small-scale farmers through technical support. Menghestab Haile, Country Director of the World Food Program (WFP) in Egypt, applauded the periodic meetings within the framework of the MSPs which enable international financial institutions to identify the government’s development priorities and to create open discussions