UAE VCs incubate and upgrade to tackle food security – News

World of Farming (WoF) aims to reduce the soaring cost of livestock feed through its circular farming know-how, which will allow local farmers to grow sustainable and fresh animal feed year-round in the desert

Abu Dhabi-based venture capital firm Hatch & Boost Ventures has announced the launch of World of Farming, the first agritech startup in its portfolio, which will tackle food security-related challenges exacerbated by rising global temperature pressures, and limited water supply.

World of Farming (WoF) is introducing a method of hydroponic feed (livestock feed) farming for the meat and dairy industry to the Middle East market, with the aim of making the industry more sustainable.

The company’s experts explained that the agricultural environment in the UAE and other Gulf countries is known to be harsh due to high temperatures, scarcity of arable land and limited freshwater resources. As a result, 80 to 90 percent of the UAE’s food is imported, including livestock feed. In line with the UAE’s National Food Strategy 2051, WoF’s vertical farming model will enable local farmers to independently, efficiently and more sustainably produce fresh, economical, local alternatives to internationally imported animal feed.

The startup will do this with its patent-pending proprietary method, “The Cattleyst.” This complete circular approach to agriculture sustainably produces livestock feed through a closed-loop system that reduces methane emissions into the atmosphere. This approach will provide the local dairy and meat industries with highly nutritious, herbicide- and pesticide-free animal feed at a lower cost, using up to 90% less water and land than conventional farming volume is reduced by up to 90%. ⁠

According to Faris Mesmar, CEO and managing partner of Hatch & boost, livestock is one of the most harmful industries on the planet, directly responsible for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, more than 50,000 acres of forests are cut down by farmers and loggers every day around the world. This extreme land clearing leads to habitat loss, greenhouse gas amplification and disruption of the water cycle.

“Combined with the impact of large-scale international shipping and massive water consumption, if we do not act today, the snowball effect of the unprecedented global challenges we are seeing will continue to gather pace,” he said.

“With WoF, we are making farming more sustainable. WoF’s vertical farming technology will enable farmers to overcome their reliance on imported livestock feed by growing fresh and nutrient-dense animal feed on the farm. As more farmers grow Adopting our farming methods locally, our ultimate goal is to increase the agricultural sustainability of the livestock industry and supply chain, as well as the customers they serve on a regional and global scale,” said Dr. Walid Saad, CEO and co-founder of Warcraft world.

WoF recently secured its first customer contract to build, operate and manage a fully integrated circular farm in the UAE with a total annual production of 3,000 metric tons of fresh animal feed. This comes after the successful completion of its first prototype earlier this year. The startup is also currently raising capital to grow and expand its business and products across the wider MENA region, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“The launch of WoF comes at a time when the world is facing profound geopolitical challenges and tensions. Due to the current global crisis threatening food security, supply chain disruptions are severely impacting farmers and end customers. We look forward to expanding WoF over the next few years to accelerate practice of sustainable agriculture in the UAE and support the UAE and the wider region to develop stronger food security for our region,” Dr Saad noted.

Currently in private BETA, WoF’s proprietary software technology uses data to monitor and adjust farming parameters to determine the final environment for optimal farm output. Vertical farms use artificial intelligence and images to track crop growth cycles to determine health, growth rate and detect disease. WoF aims to establish, operate and manage farms in the region, enabling farmers to enjoy cost-saving benefits by eliminating reliance on feed imports, nutrient losses from long-term storage, or logistics and storage costs.

WoF also works with a number of local universities to empower youth and engage them in research and development programmes to develop local solutions that support national food security strategies.

rohma@khaleejtimes.com