The UAE is strengthening its food security system through policies that include promoting cooperation with other countries and markets, diversifying sources and attracting local and foreign agricultural investment.
The country’s food import rate increased by 21 percent in the first half of 2022, recording over 41,000 tonnes of imported food on a daily basis, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said.
Essa Al Hashmi, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Ministry for Sustainable Communities and Acting Assistant Under-Secretary for Green Development and Climate Change, said the food trade is a leading national sector.
He said that the food sector has witnessed significant recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Al Hashmi stressed that ensuring food abundance and the continuity and sustainability of supply chains is a key goal of the ministry and is part of its strategy to ensure the country’s food security.
The ministry is also keen to make food widely available, in cooperation and coordination with federal and local authorities, he said.
The previous months saw the entry of food consignments into the country, including commodities and products that were sold in local markets, as well as others that were re-exported, as the UAE is a leading re-export center.
Al Hashmi said the country’s efforts to provide food and ensure sustainability of supply chains, including a diverse range of imports from all countries, most notably India, Brazil, Canada, the US, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Pakistan.
He said the UAE’s efforts to ensure availability of food and the continuity of supply chains involve the expansion of foreign agricultural investment operations in other countries, with a focus on strategic food crops, such as wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits and livestock.
He added that the ministry has adopted the highest food safety systems to ensure compliance to its requirements and specifications.