Rising costs are the biggest threat to global food security, Abu Dhabi meeting hears

Rising costs and excessive waste are the biggest threats facing the world food safetythe Abu Dhabi meeting heard on Thursday.

Saeed Al Ameri, director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Agriculture and Food Security, expressed concern about high food prices as the world grapples with the pressing issue.

He made the remarks during a panel discussion at the World Wholesale Markets Union (WUWM) conference in the capital.

Mr Al Ameri also highlighted the importance of the UAE to develop climate-resistant food products to ensure more produce from farm to fork.

“The cost of food is the biggest challenge facing food safety right now,” Mr Al Ameri said at the event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

“Here in the UAE, we also face the challenge of creating a variety of crops for a more tolerant climate; here we have a very harsh climate with hot weather and lack of water.

“Developing varieties that can withstand this hot weather will help us achieve the highest yields with the lowest inputs [and that] Will be a turning point for local food delivery. “

He spoke of the need to invest in technology to reduce food waste at home and abroad.

“Investments in science and technology will help make food locally produced,” he said. “A lot of food is currently wasted as soon as it leaves the farm gate because we don’t have proper post-harvest practices.”

Mariam AlmeriThe Minister of Climate Change and Environment and Minister of State for Food Security called on the international community to unite to improve food security.

“We need to work together and share our expertise with other countries to address these key challenges,” she told the conference.

Failure to do so would be catastrophic, she said, leaving the already fragile global food security landscape vulnerable to further disruption.

Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Sani Alzeyudi said efforts to promote food security were interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is one of the biggest challenges facing the global economy,” he said. “Every supply chain has been affected.”

UAE aims to be global leader

The UAE has set a goal of becoming the number one country on the Global Food Security Index by 2051.

An example of how the country can help other countries is the UAE-US alliance Climate Agriculture Innovation Mission (Climate Targets) project.

The initiative aims to drive investment in sustainable programs that help food producers combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food production by nearly 33 percent.

Starting in 2021, a United Nations report said the UAE will waste 95 kilograms a year per capita. The United Nations also estimates that as much as 17 percent of all food produced globally is wasted, equivalent to more than 1 million tons.

Another key project for the UAE to ensure local and global food security is Abu Dhabi Food Centre.

The site, announced in February, will serve as a food trade and logistics hub for the Khalifa Economic Zone in Abu Dhabi, with a planned opening in the second quarter of 2024.

Graham Sanders, the project’s chief executive, said it would go some way to helping the region become more self-sufficient in food production.

The UAE and its neighbours have long relied on imports for most of their food due to shortages of arable land, climate issues and water shortages.

“We will open up regional markets for imports and exports, which will encourage local production,” Mr Sanders said on the sidelines of the meeting.

“If you open up these markets and provide them with proper access and logistics, then they will produce more and therefore increase food security.

“More than 80% of food in the UAE is imported, and more than 50% in the MENA region – that’s why a large part of the motivation for this project is to deal with some of those imports.”

Updated: October 20, 2022, 12:04 pm