Food security in a changing world

Population growth, environmental change, food security, food safety and geopolitical uncertainty are impacting all areas of the agrifood chain worldwide and call for a new mindset in food production which is circular and regenerative, to lessen the planet’s waste burden.

Across the Middle East, the future of food is changing. The enormous resource and environmental cost of traditional agriculture in a challenging desert environment has led to the emergence of many new agritech companies as well as an unprecedented level of investment in technologies related to agriculture and aquaculture.

The increasing popularity of plant-based diets and alternative protein sources create opportunities that were simply not there ten years ago. The abundance of sunlight to generate power opens yet other opportunities to use technology in farming. And the recognition that our planet’s resources are finite have spurred new ideas and innovations.

Where there are significant challenges, there are also significant opportunities. Support for the agritech sector in the Middle East has grown thanks to government initiatives. These include Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which places a huge emphasis on sustainable agriculture; Bahrain’s Food Sustainability Initiative; and the UAE’s Foodtech Challenge.

UK companies are collaborating with partners in the Middle East across a number of sub-sectors within the agritech industry. Many more are on the cusp of establishing a footprint in the region, with solutions that could make a significant impact in the Middle East.

Today, some of the most exciting innovations are in horticulture and alternative proteins.

Minimum water for a maximum harvest: Innovations in Horticulture

Horticulture – the branch of agriculture concerned with plant cultivation and growing plants for food – is a key component of food security.

Technology applications in horticulture have expanded to meet the growing need to feed more people with fewer natural resources by saving water, reducing the carbon footprint, and minimising the use of chemical pesticides.

Controlled environment Horticulture (CEH) is an umbrella term that includes smart technologies for managing glasshouses right through to vertical farming, where fresh produce is grown in stacked layers under LED lighting.

CEH solutions, such as vertical farming can produce crops with 70 to 95 percent less water than normal cultivation, key for arid climates. Indoor vertical farms are less impacted by an unfavourable climate and weather changes, providing greater certainty of harvest output throughout the year, and can grow crops without the use of chemical pesticides.

Cambridge-based Airponix Ltd offers a fog-based technology solution using no soil and 95 percent less water, which sees crops suspended in A-frame structures and fed via fog directly into their exposed roots. This innovation is particularly suited to environments where water is scarce but which offer an abundance of natural light such as the Gulf region.

Problem solving using alternative proteins

Demand for alternative proteins has grown alongside the popularity of plant-based diets.

Comprising a wide range of products, alternative proteins require fewer natural resources when compared to traditional proteins, packing a protein punch with a lower carbon footprint.

Growing protein-rich animal feed such as soy has a negative impact on the environment. Insects such as black soldier flies are a highly efficient protein alternative. British company Entocycle has taken insect farming to the next level using food waste, automation and machine learning to enable scalable solutions.

The company produces alternative protein in the form of black soldier fly insect larvae for animal feed. The black soldier fly eats food waste, making the solution truly cyclical and reducing the agricultural footprint of the protein.

Another protein-dense superfood comes in the form of water lentils, which offer high nutritional value and a very low carbon footprint. With no requirement for arable land, water lentils can grow in high salinity water, 95 percent of which can be recycled. The plant doubles in biomass every 24 hours, producing vast quantities of oxygen. UK company Sustainable Planet is leading the way in highlighting this solution to arid countries, with products ranging from pasta and falafel to protein bars and plant-based meat.

Food security is a pressing issue across the world, but especially so in countries where arable land and fresh water are scarce. By harnessing innovative solutions and developing new technologies, the UK can partner with the Middle East and Pakistan region to effect the change required to deliver a cleaner, greener future.