Emirates Food Security Council Unveils 2023 Action Plan at Inaugural Meeting

The Emirates Food Security Council (EFSC) held its inaugural meeting in 2023 to examine the action plan for 2023 as well as the current developments in the agricultural sector globally, and to harmonize local efforts to improve national food security based on sustainable foundations.

"Food security is one of the most important strategic directions for the UAE, given the challenges the country faces regarding the scarcity of arable land and water scarcity," said Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment and Chair of EFSC.

Furthermore, economic and political changes occurring throughout the world create further strain on the country's food systems, necessitating the need to continue working more rapidly and efficiently to improve national food security."

"As the countdown to the UAE hosting COP28 begins, we must highlight the UAE's model in enhancing its food security with the most sustainable technologies and methods that contribute to reducing climate change and preserving the environment at the national and global levels," she added, emphasizing that the UAE has a global innovation-enabled food security model and operates innovative and unique agricultural projects.

Taking into account the most recent global agricultural developments, the meeting examined the essential actions to enhance the country's food system by securing the country's need for various strategic agricultural and food commodities and facilitating the food trade movement.

The Emirates Food Security Council operates through a mechanism that considers common trends in managing the country's food security ecosystem, which includes water security, energy security, emergencies and crises, strategic stocks, local agricultural production, food safety, foreign investment, diversification of import sources, and nutrition.