-
The new standards will ensure the quality of food imported or manufactured within the country
-
The ministry is cooperating with the private sector to market local agricultural products
The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Climate Change plans to launch a new system of food safety standards in the next two months, its Climate Change and Environment Minister Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi was quoted by local reports as saying on Sunday, June 13.
The new standards will ensure the quality of food that is being imported as well as being manufactured within the country, said the reports.
They explained that the new system will ensure only top-rated food products that comply with the highest international standards can enter the country, while inspections on local production operations will also be strengthened.
Al Nuaimi was also quoted as saying that the system aims to improve the capabilities of screening and impoundment centers at all UAE entry points, to ensure the rapid screening of food products entering the country and local markets.
The ministry is currently cooperating with the private sector in launching a major national project aimed at marketing local agricultural products, to improve customer trust in these products and boost their competitiveness, he added.
This week, the ministry will launch a youth food security project, which aims to create advanced tech-enabled agricultural stations, in line with the UAE’s climate conditions, as well as to improve the agricultural skills of youth and enable them to manage the latest agricultural systems, he said.
Al Nuaimi stressed that the ministry is implementing an advanced agricultural guidance system to encourage Emirati farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and systems that help preserve natural resources and utilize advanced technology, noting that the ministry is continuing to motivate youth to engage in agricultural entrepreneurship, by linking them with relevant financing institutions.
Regarding the UAE Climate Strategy, Al Nuaimi affirmed that the ministry is drafting a regional climate action model through the UAE Climate Change Research Network, which will work with many academic institutions on researching climate change in the region.