UAE to Plant Seeds of Innovation for Food Self Reliance
The largely desert country is aiming high and dreaming big for future food security.
The UAE held a sumptuous Food Innovation Conference last week which yielded some promising takeaways. These included some ground-breaking methods to ensure the arid country will not suffer the scourge of food scarcity.
Organic Technology
Representatives of the nation’s initiative Food Tech Valley have demarcated an area in Dubai’s Al Warsan area, which is to be a future breeding ground for organic edible items. Indeed, this is to be the site of a technologically-enhanced and temperature-controlled environment. If all goes to script, the new-age “farm” should produce an abundance of everything from berries to vegetables to fruits.”The high quality organic product...”, stated a spokesperson, “will feed the local markets.” What’s more, the location is a mere 10-minute drive from Dubai’s central nursery and veg market.
Recycling, Self-Contained Environment
An even more ambitious plan is expected to take root fairly soon. Concerned authorities are hoping to sprout an entire mini-ecosystem across the valley region. This will include the simultaneously co-existence and functioning of produce distribution, food waste composting and other logistics. The plan has already tickled the fancy of a British company which has signed its name against 1 million square feet. Meanwhile, local firms too are scrambling for a piece of the transformat-bound land.
Multi-tasking Drones to Take Flight
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, will also play a pivotal part in UAE’s farming projects. Unveiled by Elite Agro Projects, these compact flying machines can take most of the burden off the human farmer’s shoulders. Indeed, the drones can accomplish everything from crop fertilisation to precision harvesting to crop scouting to monitoring oncoming drought. And all this, in an efficient time frame too.
Farmland of the Future
Still one might wonder: how is a farm on arid land supposed to thrive? Well, the crucial water circulation will be self-sustained and contained between field, aquaculture and greenhouses. Waste will be recycled to revitalise the soil as well as for live-stock consumption. Mushrooms and beekeeping, as ecologists and agriculturists will attest, also have a magical part to play in sustaining the farm. All in all, it looks like the oil-producing UAE is at the forefront of a renewable-resource-led industry. Even with all the infertile sand around, bumper harvests might be just around the corner.
