UAE agriculture: innovation on your plate
How the industry in the Emirates is innovating to feed the population
Last month, at an Expo 2020 Dubai seminar to coincide with World Food Day, Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said, “Our national food security strategy will make the UAE a world-leading hub of innovation-driven food security in the next 30 years.”
Chandran KG, CEO, Greenoponics Agricultural Services LLC, says that the UAE currently imports nearly 90 per cent of its food and that for this to change, sustainability is key. “Local production in a sustainable manner will improve the self-sufficiency levels and provide impetus to grow our own food,” he says. “Sustainability is a vital concept that will determine how generations in the future will be able to live and thrive on this planet.
“It is up to us to conserve priceless resources such as water, greenery, mineral wealth and others in nature. Development should be sustainable and reduce the country’s carbon footprint, without which we would be irreversibly impacting life forms around us. With the low availability of arable land, we need to minimise pesticides and also encourage urban farming in the UAE.”
Hydroponics can result in reduced water consumption of up to 80 per cent in comparison to soil-based farming.
Greenoponics specialise in hydroponics, which is where crops and plants are cultivated without the need for soil. The company supplies its products to homes, schools, farms and workplaces in the UAE and Chandran KG says that hydroponics have significant efficiency advantages over traditional farming techniques. “Hydroponics can result in reduced water consumption of up to 80 per cent in comparison to soil-based farming. Water is recirculated, involving no surface drainage. We can produce more vegetables and leafy greens in limited spaces. The automation of cultivation and controls is an added advantage for those with less time to spend with the plants.”
Chandran says that the technology can be used by residents to grow their own food in small spaces such as on apartment balconies and that his company actively encourages younger people in the UAE to take an interest in how their food is produced. “Our efforts have supported creating awareness and passion among the young ones on hydroponics, resource savings and sustainable farming.”
High value organic produce
Yazen Al Kodmani, Principal Consultant at UAE-based 3Y AgTech says that, due to the Emirates’ limited natural agricultural resources, his company focuses on using technology to grow high value and organic produce. “We believe that the UAE’s resources are precious and the focus should be in two key high value sectors – high-tech controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) and organic agriculture,” he says. “High-tech indoor production has the advantages of providing consistent production at a high quality all year round. It is able to reduce consumption of water significantly and lessen the use of pesticides compared to low-tech conventional agriculture. This ultimately provides a premium product that can rival any high quality product worldwide.”
Al Kodmani says that 3Y AgTech work with global partners to ensure that they are able to utilise the very latest innovations and technologies here in the UAE. “Our main strategy has been building strong relationships in the major agriculture centres and institutions worldwide. We have been able, through the combined network of our specialist partners, to provide access to cutting edge technology in every aspect of the industry.”
Al Kodmani, who is also the Operations Manager at Emirates Bio Farm, says that UAE residents’ appetite for organic produce has increased exponentially in the previous half decade. “The organic food industry has continued to grow and evolve over the past five years of our operation and has today become a key segment on all supermarket shelves. We have tried to play our part in this growth by expanding consumer awareness through strong educational programmes and agritourism activities,” he says.
Fertilser, pesticide and herbicide free
“Emirates Bio Farm today has become a household name synonymous with high quality local organic production,” says Al Kodmani. “We follow stringent organic rules and regulations in our farming practices. Key pillars include crop rotation, companion planting and regenerative soil building techniques. The purpose of these practices is to eliminate the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. Not only have these chemicals been proven harmful to our health, but more importantly they have been incredibly damaging to our environment and wildlife. Our method of agriculture is emerging as the best way to preserve our environment and fragile ecosystems while producing safe and nutritious food for our community.”
We have been able, through the combined network of our specialist partners, to provide access to cutting edge technology in every aspect of the industry.”
Overcoming challenges
According to Al Kodmani, if the UAE is to continue to reduce its reliance on food imports, producers in the country must find solutions to a number of challenges. “The main challenges facing the agriculture industry in the UAE are many, including operational challenges, resource availability and costs such as water and electricity. Much has been done to address these challenges but one major roadblock remains and that is the current market structure being dominated by imports and some competitive pressures caused by them.”