Beyond borders: UAE’s agenda to combat food insecurity amidst climate crisis at COP28

Beyond borders: UAE’s agenda to combat food insecurity amidst climate crisis at COP28

The issue of food insecurity is taking center stage among pressing climate-related problems on the agenda for the United Nations COP28summit as world leaders prepare for a global stocktake of their pledge on climate change.

With the climate conference set to take place in the Middle East – the UAEwill host the summit in November – and the rising threat of food insecurity in the region, some climate experts believe that the Gulf nation, with its vast resources, technological advancement and active advocacy on the issue, can potentially lead the fight to combat food insecurity in the region.

“The UAE has the means to address the issue and can shift quickly enough to fix things, which puts them in the best position to lead the discussion on food security and actions after COP28,” Joe Battikh, a Dubai-based sustainability and climate expert with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told Al Arabiya English.

“It is not a nation that has an abundance of food that will lead the conversation on food security, it is a country like the UAE that is dealing with it on a daily basis that can address and lead the issue.”

Food insecurity in the Middle East

The Middle East