UAE Deepens Focus On Sustainable Agriculture And Resilient Food Systems

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, has called on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministers of agriculture to sign the Emirates Declaration on Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action.

She has called for elevated support for the UAE’s efforts in bolstering food systems to mitigate the climate emergency, reduce global carbon emissions and contribute to global hunger eradication during the COP28 Summit to be hosted by Dubai later in November.

Almheiri was addressing the 34th meeting of the GCC Agricultural Cooperation Committee – held at the Advisory Board of the GCC Supreme Council headquarters in Oman. She called for enhanced food production to combat world hunger, which affected 783 million people last year.

Making COP28 Inclusive And Influential

The UAE minister highlighted the country’s intention to make the upcoming summit the “most inclusive and influential COP to date”. “COP28 is an excellent opportunity to promote the GCC’s collective efforts in mitigating climate change and preserving the environment,” she added.

Almheiri provided additional details on the COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda and the UAE’s efforts to mobilising international governments to sign the Declaration. “Through this, we are urging national governments to invest in sustainable food systems.”

She said the Emirates had shared the initial draft of the Declaration with all Agricultural Ministers across the globe through diplomatic channels for developing the final draft and sending it to various world leaders for signature in early October.

Creating 20,000 Jobs In Agriculture

The UAE has been aggressively pursuing its sustainability initiatives to enhance self-sufficiency. It aims to increase the contribution of agricultural sectors in the economy by $10 billion and create 20,000 jobs in the next five years, said Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri.

While speaking during the fifth Future Food Forum in Dubai, the UAE Minister of Economy revealed a seven-point agenda to achieve the objective, including localising innovation, fostering a UAE-first culture and food supply chain, and providing farmers with the necessary support.

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Al Marri said food security is assuming the highest priority and the UAE has been doing well on this front. The Emirates was on the top of the Global Food Security Index 2022 when compared to its counterparts in the Middle East and North Africa region, he added.