At its initial meeting for 2023, the Emirates Food Security Council (EFSC) reviewed the action plan for the year and examined recent global developments in the agricultural industry. The council also aimed to align local initiatives to promote national food security in a sustainable manner.
H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment and Chair of EFSC, said: ‘’Food security is one of the most important strategic directions for the UAE, given the challenges the country faces regarding the scarcity of arable land and water scarcity. Additionally, economic and political changes taking place across the world increase pressures on the food systems in the country and make it necessary to continue working more quickly and more efficiently to enhance national food security.’’
‘’As count down for the UAE hosting of COP28 has begun, we need to highlight the UAE’s model in enhancing its food security with the most sustainable technologies and methods that contribute to reducing climate changes and preserving the environment at the national and global levels,’’ she added, stressing that the UAE has a global innovation-enabled model of food security and operated innovative and unique agricultural projects.
The EFSC meeting reviewed global agricultural developments and discussed ways to enhance the country’s food system, including measures to secure strategic agricultural and food commodities and facilitate food trade. The council uses a comprehensive approach that considers various aspects of the food security ecosystem, such as water security, energy security, emergency and crisis management, strategic stockpiling, local agricultural production, food safety, foreign investment, import source diversification, and nutrition, according to WAM.
