Mansour bin Zayed: The Climate Neutrality Initiative contributes to promoting sustainable development

“Food Safety” implements a comprehensive plan for smart agriculture

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has announced work to implement a comprehensive agricultural development plan, aimed at raising the efficiency of sustainable agricultural production in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The plan adopts the principle of regional planning for the emirate’s farms, so that similar areas are identified, in terms of development components and resources, and development procedures are put in place for them, with the aim of formulating a comprehensive plan that adopts the climate-smart agriculture approach, in a way that ensures the promotion of sustainable development in Abu Dhabi.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, stressed that the implementation of the "Comprehensive Plan for Agricultural Sustainability" comes in line with the UAE government's announcement of the strategic initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and is in line with the UAE government's announcement of the strategic initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. With the leading global trends in promoting the climate-smart agriculture approach, to advance the agricultural sector and food production in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

His Highness explained that the climate-neutral initiative contributes to promoting sustainable development, supports innovation, localization of technology, the development of modern agricultural techniques, food security, and the preservation of natural resources.

Climate-smart agriculture is defined as an integrated approach to managing agricultural land, livestock, forests and green areas, and fisheries, and preparing agricultural systems to respond effectively to climate changes, ensuring the achievement of the three goals of increasing productivity and economic return from agriculture in a sustainable manner, adapting to climate change, and reducing of emitting greenhouse gases.

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority confirmed that the "Comprehensive Plan for Agricultural Sustainability" is being prepared in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

It indicated that it has achieved important steps to ensure the optimal use of natural resources, especially water, and seeks to achieve more thanks to the adoption of the climate-smart agriculture approach, and the implementation of measures that include reducing dependence on non-renewable groundwater, moving towards recycled water sources or desalinated water, and regulating water distribution for farms. Through mass irrigation stations, and the tendency to grow crops that consume less water and are more able to withstand difficult climatic conditions and salinity, in addition to activating legislative systems that rationalize water consumption.

The authority launched, some time ago, the "Abu Dhabi Gap" program, which is the local version of the global program for good agricultural practices "Global Gap", which applies quality standards for agricultural production to ensure food safety, sustainable management of the environment, and the health of workers in its production.

The farms that apply these standards are granted an internationally accredited certificate, as the number of farms that obtained this certificate reached 550, and the number is expected to rise to about 1500 farms by the end of 2022.

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