food security

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has launched its Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Data Platform to support decision-making on food security and agriculture issues in Abu Dhabi.

According to the authority, the platform provides “accurate and comprehensive” information on all aspects of the agriculture and food sector in the Emirate, from agricultural production to distribution and consumption.

By providing analysis of up-to-date data and the extraction of reports, the platform, developed in collaboration with strategic partners from the public and private sectors, aims to help policymakers make decisions on agriculture and food security.  

His Excellency Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director General of ADAFSA, explained that the platform was fed with data from 16 strategic partners of the authority and that this collaboration will enable the provision of comprehensive data for the agriculture and food sector in accordance with best practices in data management and governance.

The platform reportedly monitors the local, regional and global food security situation through a comprehensive and integrated dashboard that covers more than 335 indicators, collecting and monitoring all data related to agriculture, food and food security, such as:

• Data on local agricultural production,
• Trade and investment data,
• Future production data
• Strategic food reserve levels, and
• Data on food loss and waste rates throughout the value chain.

Additionally, the authority shared that the platform monitors animal and plant health data, pest control and eradication programmes, vaccination programmes against animal and zoonotic diseases, investment data, and anticipated investment opportunities.

It also provides real-time updates of this data, along with over 200 dashboards for displaying this data, analytical reports, and future forecasts.

Moreover, the platform includes a warning system for local, regional and global risks and threats, ADAFSA said.

Alerts are activated when there are changes in global or local prices of essential food items and when there are changes in production levels, whether rising or falling, in addition to alerts on weather and diseases that affect the availability of local or international supplies, and the ability to track biosecurity threats, environmental data and other data that support decision-making in the agriculture and food sector in Abu Dhabi.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has launched a programme aimed at boosting agricultural production and strengthening food security in the UAE.

The Ministry shared that the programme aims to improve the skills of agricultural extension agents or guiding staff and develop their professional capacities.

It was noted that this includes improving communication skills to enable technology transfer and sharing modern farming techniques to increase production.

The programme encompasses specialised training courses about soil and irrigation, crop and vegetable production, fruit production, pest prevention and control, beekeeping and honey production. It also features lectures and workshops to enhance agricultural extension agents’ technical skills and competencies.

Further, the programme includes field courses to provide opportunities for applying theoretical knowledge in a practical context, developing communication skills and enhancing confidence, MOCCAE shared.

“The agricultural extension efficiency improvement programme comes as part of our ongoing commitment to support the sustainability of national farms in the UAE aimed at reinforcing and growing the sector in the future,” said HE Dr Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Food Diversity Sector at MOCCAE.

“The programme aims to develop a specialised path for all agricultural extension agents covering the main fields in the sector. Through this, we seek to build capacity and competency of agricultural extension, which in turn, would contribute to enhancing local agricultural production and support the transformation of national food systems into more sustainable systems,” HE Dr Al Hammadi added.

The agricultural extension efficiency improvement programme is scheduled to be implemented in collaboration with partners, research centres, and global experts.

MOCCAE’s efforts include developing an annual plan for agricultural guidance aimed at monitoring and supporting farmers in enhancing crop production and protecting crops from pests.

This is based on establishing a timetable for the service operations of trees and cultivation seasons for each crop.

The plan focuses on date palm crops, fruits, vegetables, fodder, bees, and honey production. It also includes operations related to irrigation, fertilisation, and land reclamation.

It also involves preparing and developing technical reports and reports on advisory visits to farms, including data analysis, providing recommendations, and documenting results to ensure performance improvement.

HE Al Hammadi said that the Ministry, through the annual plan for agricultural guidance, aims to enhance communication between extension agents and farmers and to prepare a schedule for periodic visits to farms.

He added that a plan for regular meetings with farmers will be launched to discuss challenges and ensure better crop yields. These meetings will also be used to set precise standards and objectives to improve the quality and efficiency of agricultural guidance programmes.