UAE aims to get 50% basic food from local farms by end of this year

UAE aims to get 50% basic food from local farms by end of this year

Minister notes that food can be grown locally, referring to the first harvest of protein-enriched wheat grown at a massive farm in Sharjah on Monday

Published: Tue 21 Mar 2023, 12:26 PM Last updated: Tue 21 Mar 2023, 12:47 PM

The UAE is aiming to secure 50 per cent of some basic food requirements from local farms and producers by end of this year, with the aim of increasing the target to 100 per cent by 2030.

This was announced by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCE), on Tuesday during the 1st National Dialogue for Food Security (NDFS), a special initiative by MoCCE aimed at boosting production and marketing effectiveness of local farms to ensure UAE’s food security.

Based on the initiative, some government and private entities, including some restaurants and catering companies, will source 50 per cent of 10 basic foods such as meat, chicken, eggs, dates, green leaves, tomatoes, etc., locally. The target is to increase this to 70 per cent by 2025, and ultimately to 100 per cent by 2030.

Food as national security issue

Almheiri said: “Inspired by the vision of our leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, we