DUBAI (WAM)
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has launched the first phase of the Women Farmer Field Schools (FFS) programme as part of the "Empowering Women Farmers" initiative.
The initiative was launched under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, during the First Emirati Women Farmers Forum held as part of the second Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition in Al Ain last April.
The launch coincides with Emirati Women's Day and highlights women's role in supporting sustainable agricultural development, food security and economic opportunities across the agricultural sector.
MOCCAE will hold a virtual introductory session on Thursday, 27 August, enabling Emirati women farmers and beekeepers to learn about the programme's objectives, pillars and participation mechanisms.
Field-based training across farms and agricultural sites in various emirates will begin in September.
The programme also reflects the UAE's designation of 2026 as the "Year of Family", reinforcing women's role in transferring sustainable agricultural knowledge, improving household nutrition and promoting sustainable food practices within families and communities.
Dr Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Food Diversity Sector at MOCCAE, said, "Empowering women farmers is a strategic investment in the nation's food security and a fundamental pillar of transferring sustainable agricultural and environmental knowledge within families and communities."
He added that the Farmer Field Schools programme will equip women farmers with practical knowledge and skills to increase agricultural production and improve the efficiency of their farming operations.
Al Hammadi said, "The programme adopts a participatory, practice-based training approach that empowers women farmers to become experts in managing their farms and helps them make informed decisions based on practical experience and scientific knowledge."
The initiative also provides opportunities for young talent to engage with the Emirates Youth Council for Agriculture and enables women farmers to participate in local and international agricultural exhibitions and festivals to promote their products and expand their businesses.
Training will cover sustainable palm tree management, combating red palm weevil and other pests, irrigation and fertilisation for fruit and vegetable production in greenhouses and open fields, as well as apiary management, honey production and value-added products.
Participants will also receive training in agricultural record-keeping and economic evaluation to support the sustainability, efficiency and profitability of their projects.
The programme is being implemented jointly by MOCCAE, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), drawing on international best practices in Farmer Field Schools.
The expanded initiative builds on the success of the first Women Farmer Field School in Abu Samrah, Al Ain, which culminated in three women farmers winning the Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence.
MOCCAE invited women farmers, beekeepers and others interested in agriculture across the UAE to join the virtual introductory session on 27 August.