The UAE Office for Future Food Security and clean energy giant Masdar have announced a strategic partnership to consolidate joint efforts to enhance food security in the UAE.
The collaboration also aims to address future challenges by developing joint initiatives that will enhance the country’s capacity and competitiveness in critical sectors related to future food security, a statement said.
It added that the memorandum of understanding focuses on two major initiatives – a vertical farming container pilot project and a smart home farm.
The vertical farming container programme will see a pilot facility established in Masdar City, where the latest technologies and best practices in controlled environment farming will be tested.
The project will also contribute to defining the business and regulatory guidelines for the development of vertical farming in the country.
The smart home farm is an initiative to be developed in Masdar City’s Eco-Villa, conceived as a template for affordable and highly energy- and water-efficient residential villas in the UAE.
The Smart Home Farm initiative will help showcase emerging sustainable home and urban farming technologies and solutions from local and international suppliers.
The agreement was signed at the Masdar headquarters in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi by Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State for Future Food Security, and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO, Masdar.
Almheiri said: “This strategic partnership is the cornerstone of achieving future food security objectives – an important step in activating plans to meet the challenges of this vital cause and invest in its opportunities. Masdar was a natural partner, given its significant experience in developing both short-term strategic plans and long-term approaches to natural resource conservation and sustainable development.
“This collaboration signifies an important step towards advancing innovations in agricultural production mechanisms and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing the agriculture industry in the UAE.”
She added: “Future food security is a key focus of the UAE government, a reflection of the leadership’s far-sighted vision, which sets the well-being, prosperity and food availability of its citizens and residents at the top of its agenda.”
Al Ramahi said: “We are very grateful for this opportunity to work in partnership with the UAE Office for Future Food Security to unlock the potential of clean technology to address our present and future agriculture needs.
“Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is already a highly successful test bed for research into sustainable food production and today, as the city’s community of residents, office workers and visitors continues to grow, we are exploring further opportunities to combine sustainable farming with low-carbon urban development, including vertical farming methods and home farming technologies integrated within our Eco-Villa concept.”
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