Countries all over the world are dependent on complex supply chains to feed their populations, and during the pandemic, we experienced how incredibly vulnerable these supply chains truly are.
With global inflation and the current situation in Ukraine, the UN is estimating 8 to 20 million people going hungry because our current food model is not sustainable.
Mariam Almheiri, the UAE's Minister of Climate Change and Environment, says that food security is climbing to the top of their agenda, and the UAE is investing a massive amount of effort, as well as resources, into how agricultural technology can change the future of food both on a global scale.
"Our approach has meant supporting and investing heavily in start-ups who are employing agritech to produce locally sourced, high-quality, and sustainable products that can be cultivated in man-made environments and adapted to unprecedented climate issues," says Almheiri.
One of the most successful start-ups they invested in was Pure Harvest, which uses climate-controlled hydroponic greenhouses to grow tomatoes. Additionally, they invested in Madar Farms, which uses artificial light systems to create closed climates to grow fresh greens and salads.
"Addressing food security will be one of the most important challenges we will face in the coming decades, and international collaboration and investment in agritech will be the most essential part of that process. In the UAE, we will continue to invest and collaborate with agritech pioneers both globally and at home so that countries can reduce their reliance on imports and produce nourishing food products while tackling the growing threat of climate change in the process." - Mariam Almheiri
