How ‘Plant the Emirates’ will address food sector challenges in UAE
Number of organic farms to be increased by 25%; food waste to come down by 50%
Dubai: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) conducted an introductory meeting with leading private sector agriculture and food companies for the ‘Plant the Emirates’ national programme.
The meeting highlighted key challenges facing the agricultural sector and discussed potential solutions through ‘Plant the Emirates’.
The objectives of the National Agricultural Centre were also reviewed. The meeting noted that the most important of them is to raise productive farms by 20 per cent and number of organic farms by 25 per cent, foster the adoption of climate-smart solutions across 30 per cent of farms, and reduce agricultural food waste by 50 per cent.
The meeting follows the launch of the ‘Plant the Emirates’ national programme and the ‘National Agricultural Centre’ by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai recently.
These initiatives aim to support the UAE’s strategic objectives for agricultural development, enhancing sustainable national food security, fostering new partnerships with the private sector, expanding green spaces across the UAE, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of MOCCAE; and Engineer Amal Abdulrahim, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at MOCCAE led the meeting.
National Agricultural Centre
The meeting reviewed the ‘National Agricultural Centre’ and its role in supporting Emirati farmers and local farms to boost the domestic production of agricultural crops. In the meeting the ministry also explored new avenues for collaboration with the private sector to strengthen its role in advancing the initiatives and activities of the ‘Plant the Emirates’ national programme. Additionally, the meeting addressed key challenges facing the agricultural sector and discussed how the programme could be leveraged to solve such issues.
Dr. Amna emphasised the importance of the strong partnership between MOCCAE and the private sector.
She said: “The ‘Plant the Emirates’ programme serves as an incubator for ideas, efforts, and innovations to foster deeper collaboration among all relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and the wider community. Our partnership with private companies will encourage them to take on a more significant role in strengthening the agricultural sector, particularly through investment, research, and development, with a special focus on modern climate-smart agriculture.”
Challenges and solutions
Al Nuaimi highlighted major challenges facing the sector, including a shortage of productive and organic farms, the lack of specialised workforce, and wanting marketing efforts for local agricultural products. He emphasised the need to adopt modern climate-smart agricultural systems in traditional farms across the country.
“Developing the agricultural sector is critical to national food security and development. ‘Plant the Emirates’ and the ‘National Agricultural Centre’ are designed to overcome the challenges facing our agricultural sector by supporting farmers and promoting innovation.”
He also highlighted the centre’s role in providing grants and funding programmes for innovative agricultural projects, focusing on productivity and quality projects, food waste, marketing and promotion of local agricultural products and modern agricultural technologies, in addition to fostering agricultural insurance and specialised training programmes to empower farmers.
Initiatives and events
Abdulrahim outlined the goals of the ‘Plant the Emirates’ programme in developing the local agricultural sector, involving the community in farming efforts, as well as increasing the local production of agricultural products and enhancing their competitiveness.
He highlighted key initiatives and events related to the national programme, including the ‘Plant the Emirates’ Festival, the ‘Plant the Emirates’ campaign, and the ‘Plant the Emirates’ Global Forum. She provided details about the upcoming National Agricultural Exhibition, which will bring together experts, agricultural investors, farm owners, officials and showcase the most important local agricultural products.
The meeting also highlighted the ‘AgroTourism Experience’ initiative, inviting the public and students to visit the largest local farms in the country and learn about local agricultural products and their production methods. It will also launch the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign under the theme of “Green Tourism”, along with other agricultural volunteering programmes to encourage the community and students to engage in afforestation and agricultural activities, as well as agricultural awareness programmes and school competitions.