The UAE is investing in agriculture technology to bolster food supplies and boosting local knowledge in the agtech sector.

By Xische Editorial, June 23, 2022

Global food stockpiles are waning amid the Covid-19 recovery and geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe. The global food-supply chain hinges on just one country, by the looks of it. Like other outdated production systems currently breaking down as a result of years of pandemic and geopolitical recalibration, the way we produce and distribute food needs to change. As a result of the Ukrainian crisis, global food prices are forecast to spike, leading to food shortages across many emerging-market countries. If there was ever a time for an agricultural technology (agtech) revolution, it is now. 

The Middle East is a famously difficult place to grow food. That’s why food security has been the source of long-standing challenges. 

Given its natural challenges with food and water production, the Middle East is the ideal testing ground for the agtech company of the future. From lacking water supplies to harsh weather systems, large-scale agriculture is virtually impossible using traditional farming methods.

This has led many countries to approach the food issue with remarkably innovative techniques. Israel was the first to use technology to mitigate the problem of water scarcity. By developing advanced irrigation techniques and desalination efforts, the Israelis have reached a level of water self-sufficiency that has enabled large-scale farming. Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates have had to take similar steps to secure food and water supplies.

The UAE is home to the world’s largest desalinated water reserve, an aquifer in the Liwa desert that holds 26 billion liters of water and took nearly three years to fill. During emergencies, the reserve can provide up to 100 million liters of water per day. And Abu Dhabi alone produces 9 percent of the world’s total desalination capacity – 4.13 million cubic meters per day.

When it comes to agriculture and food supplies, Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia have bought large tracts of land worldwide for food production. Unlike Egypt’s approach of importing food supplies from Ukraine and Russia, wealthy Gulf countries own land in other countries and grow food outside of their borders. But the real goal is to innovate at home and use technology to slow food challenges. That’s where agtech comes into the picture. 

Some Gulf countries are investing in agricultural technology to ensure adequate food supplies, investments that have the added benefit of boosting local knowledge in the agtech sector. Indeed, the next agtech startup incubated in Dubai’s FoodTech Valley could end up having a global impact, much like Telsa has upended the electric vehicle market.

There are many manifestations of agtech, but the core principle is using technological innovation to solve the problem of food creation. Everything from lab-grown meat to vertical farming falls into this exciting and ever-expanding field. The solution to global hunger might be found in a tiny start-up based in an emerging country. That is precisely what is happening in the Gulf. 

A vibrant agtech sector is already stretching across the Gulf, with the UAE leading the way. The world’s largest hydroponic farm, Bustanica, recently opened in Dubai. The farm is part of Emirates Crop One, a joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), a catering operation that serves more than 100 airlines, and Crop One, an which specialises in indoor vertical farming.

The UAE has had success with urban farming techniques such as vertical agriculture that can produce food with very little water. As the UAE builds its knowledge economy, agricultural technology is a perfect sector to expand. Not only can it solve local challenges, but the innovation can be exported to other countries that need food assistance. We can find a solution to the current food crisis, but we are still facing severe food challenges that will require innovation in agricultural technology.