The year 2024 was the continuation of the sustainability year 2023 with COP 28 hosted in the Emirates. While all this was happening, vertical farming and the CEA industry were heavily pledged and appreciated by the global farming community. So why the UAE? The question is obvious but deep.
When TAB group (global B2B event management company) conducted the Global Global Vertical Farming Show for the first time in Dubai in 2022, its results were shocking. To say the least, the growth that was found there was indefinable. It was no more of an infancy industry one would want to tap into, but has become an opportunity for global leaders to come, unleash and collaborate with local government, investors and farm owners for a change - UAE has been long striving for. That is - grow local, feed all, minimize food imports, and stand tall.
In this blog, we will discuss about top 3 reasons why the UAE is looking to implement more and more innovatively designed vertical farming technologies, open new farms, invite global players and aid maximum support to companies looking to economically grow and expand in the region.
The 5th Global Vertical Farming Show - the region's largest & only exclusive vertical farming event is less than 2 months away from hitting the floor. With global players like Vertical Future, Enjazponics, Sormac, JASA Packaging, Emirates Bustanica, Pure Harvest Smart Farms, Uns Farms, Elite Agro Projects, B-farm, Green Automation, Bio 520 Beyond Green, ENKITEK and a lot more - the show is setting new benchmarks.
See the full participation list here - https://lnkd.in/duvSwSV9
Now we were talking about the UAE and Vertical Farming. In this blog, we will tell you why this country is emphasising this industry so much.
1) Eliminates Water Crisis - As known, the Middle East and North Africa regions are some of the most water-scarce in the world. Countries like Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen have less than 250 cubic meters of water per person per year.
Amidst the crisis, fresh food cannot be grown on a deserted land and no other method but Vertical Farming and CEA have shown tremendous results.
Meet top vertical farms from UAE including Emirates Bustanica, Pure Harvest Smart Farms, Uns Farms, Elite Agro Projects, Veggitech, Smart Acres, Themar Al Emarat, Al Aliyo Hydrofarms and many more at the 5th Global Vertical Farming Show on 10th and 11th September 2024.
Emirates Bustanica which was opened in 2022 promised to save 250 million litres of water annually.
Another farm, Uns Vertical Farm uses 80% less water with the help of vertical farming combined with advanced hydroponics technology.
2) Support to Tourism - The UAE positions itself as a No.1 tourist destination. Looking at the average of 22 million visitors in the past years annually, the UAE has encouraged several plans. One of which is Dubai Tourism Strategy 2020.
Global tourists have started demanding;
1) Fresh produce that is grown locally.
2) HoReCa Sector has started switching towards home-grown food to be served to tourists.
In 2023, I Farm opened its first vertical farming brand in UAE under the name Mama Natura Greens which produced leafy greens, microgreens, and edible flowers in a vertical setup for like Spinneys, Geant, Grandiose, and Carrefour) and HoReCa sectors (Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering). Read the full report here - https://informaconnect.com/ifarm-launches-first-vertical-farm-in-the-uae/
3) Establishment of Sustainability Leadership - The UAE is leading in various innovatively designed sustainable spaces be it having a complete focus on achieving sustainable development goals that would enable access to clean energy or adequate and affordable food that would eliminate food import - incorporating vertical farming or access to quality education, health care, sustainable economic growth, healthy ecosystems and increased resource efficiency and many more.
The country's government sees these as something other than a development agenda but as a necessity.
UAE's sustainability goals are as follows;
1) UAE National Food Security Strategy 2051 - This initiative aims to make UAE no 1 in the Global Food Security Index by 2051. Under this strategy, the country is opening new vertical farms, investing in modern agri tech and also promoting local food production.
2) UAE Vision 2021 - This vision focuses on sustainable development and includes goals to enhance the UAE's agricultural sector through innovative technologies - the majority of the focus is on vertical farming and CEA. This is then coupled with innovative strategies to reduce dependency on food imports and promote environmental sustainability.
3) Masdar City - A ground-breaking sustainable urban community in Abu Dhabi is using Alesca Technologies vertical farm, Masdar City houses other AgriTech firms like Dana, Circa Biotech, and HydroArtPod for realising sustainable food production and waste reduction.
Supporting the efforts of the UAE Government, we have been conducting our dedicated vertical farming event - the Global Vertical Farming Show which has successfully stepped into its 5th edition - ready to take place this September.
To register for the expo today - https://lnkd.in/d76Q9AYA
