Sahtak Awalan – Your Health First has showcased its Khayr Qatarna initiative, which teaches secondary school students about food security, agriculture and commerce, at the Agro-Food Oman Exhibition in Muscat.
The Agro-Food Oman Exhibition, held under the patronage of the Sultanate of Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth, is one of the region’s biggest agriculture expos and brings together more than 150 companies and organisations from all over the world. More than 4,000 people attended the three-day event, which ends today, including senior figures in commerce and government including HH Mohamed bin Salim Al Said and Ambassador HE Ali Bin Fahad Falah Al Hajri Shahwani, Qatar’s Ambassador to Oman.
Your Health First – Sahtak Awalan brought a booth to Agro-Food Oman to share the success of Khayr Qatarna with the international community and demonstrate the potential for engaging the younger generation with the agriculture sector, which many countries in the region have identified as a key area for economic growth and diversification. Your Health First – Sahtak Awalan is the flagship public health campaign of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).
The Khayr Qatarna booth, one of the most eye-catching at the event, drew many visitors who were keen to see the model greenhouse that was part of the display and discuss ways to replicate Khayr Qatarna in their home countries to raise awareness of sustainability issues and improve health and nutrition.
Nesreen Al-Rifai, Chief Communications Officer at WCM-Q, said:
Khayr Qatarna has been greeted with great enthusiasm by students in Qatar and is raising awareness of the crucial importance of environmental issues, sustainability and food security. Agro-Food Oman gives us the perfect platform for showcasing the success of Khayr Qatarna to the international community, so that others can learn how they too can inspire their young people to embrace environmental sustainability, food security and healthy eating.’
Launched in 2018, the innovative Khayr Qatarna initiative has installed large-scale climate-controlled greenhouses at ten secondary schools across Qatar, giving students the chance to learn how to cultivate a wide range of crops including strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, coloured peppers, red cabbage and green beans.
Khayr Qatarna products have been granted the status of ‘Premium Products’ by Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment. The produce is sold to the community at local supermarkets, with all proceeds reinvested to expand Khayr Qatarna.
The initiative is teaching students valuable lessons about healthy eating, agriculture, environmental awareness, and sustainability issues. Students are also learning about key business operations, such as logistics, commerce and economics. Additionally, Khary Qatarna is making a positive contribution to Qatar’s food security.