SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)

Marking World Food Day 2025, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has praised the UAE’s role in speeding up agrifood reforms at home and abroad, citing joint projects that pair emergency relief with technology and skills programmes across Africa, the Near East, and North Africa.

Speaking to Aletihad, Ahmad Mukhtar, FAO Representative ad interim to the UAE, said the country had emerged as a global leader in food security, supported by long-term strategies and international partnerships.

“The UAE has emerged as a regional and global leader in food security and agricultural innovation. Its National Food Security Strategy 2051 aims to produce 51% of food locally while reducing food loss by 15%. Investments in vertical farming, saline-resistant crops, and smart irrigation systems position the UAE as a global hub for AgriTech innovation,” he said.

The FAO supports these efforts through policy advice, digital platforms, and initiatives like the Regional Leadership Academy and AgriTech Hub. A partnership with ADAFSA has also yielded a Master Plan for Sustainable Agriculture, integrating biosecurity, water management, and advanced technology.

World Food Day 2025 marks FAO’s 80th anniversary and comes at a time of growing global food insecurity. According to Mukhtar, around 673 million people are currently affected by hunger, and 2.3 billion experience moderate or severe food insecurity. In the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, this is in large part driven by conflict, climate pressures, and economic volatility.

“FAO is addressing these challenges through a multi-pronged strategy based on our Strategic Framework 2022-2031. It combines emergency relief with long-term resilience-building,” he said.

Examples include vaccinating 9.4 million animals in Sudan, providing cash-for-work to 1.5 million people in Yemen, and expanding the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which uses data to target support to the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Discussing UAE-backed projects, Mukhtar singled out the partnership with Elite Agro in Liberia, which deploys solar-powered mobile farm units in agricultural zones. The units enable year-round vegetable production, better post-harvest preservation, and climate-smart training to boost resilience and efficiency.

He also spotlighted another project in Nigeria, done in collaboration with Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), which supported more than 58,000 people with agricultural inputs and training for crops, livestock, and poultry.

Asked what is needed to reach Zero Hunger, Mukhtar emphasised the importance of collaboration across sectors and borders.

“Ending hunger requires collaboration across governments, UN agencies, civil society, academia, and the private sector,” he said.

“Strategic partnerships with GCC donors, particularly the UAE, have been transformative, supporting both emergency responses and long-term resilience globally.”