UAE’s green drive to ramp up food security

UAE’s green drive to ramp up food security

Government authorities, consumers, local farms and farmers have joined hands to ensure access to safe, local, fresh produce including fruits, vegetables and diary for the UAE residents.

As the Covid-19 pandemic hit and brought with its logistical problems on importing food, the demand for locally-produced crop shot up in the UAE.

Technology only aptly aided the process with farmers/farms using advanced tools and concepts including moisture sensors, global positioning system (GPS), robotic systems, etc. This, coupled with UAE's commitment to ramp up the food security for its residents, the green drive is burgeoning, with the top food categories in terms of sales volumes in the UAE being cereals, dairy, fruits, vegetables and meat (Nielsen Retail Measurement Services, Internal Estimates and the Balance of Trade Imports and Exports UAE).

“I believe there is a strong drive towards greater food self-sufficiency, particularly following the announcement of the National Food Security Programme in 2018, which aims to make the UAE the world's most food-secure nation by 2050. One key objective of the programme is to increase the amount of food produced in the country,” said Willem van Walt Meijer, chief executive officer (CEO), Al