"Climate Change": The UAE continues to enhance its food security

The UAE continues to strengthen its food security system through an integrated series of measures represented in raising the level of cooperation with countries and markets around the world, diversifying import sources, enhancing local and foreign (external) agricultural investment operations, in addition to constantly exploring markets from which imports can be implemented to ensure the implementation of The highest international standards for food safety and security.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment revealed that the food import rate in the country grew by 21% during the first half of this year, recording more than 41 thousand tons of food per day.

The ministry stated that the monthly import rate of the basket of strategic commodities during the first half of this year amounted to about 89 thousand tons of wheat (and flour), 67 thousand tons of rice, 96 thousand tons of sugar, 53 thousand tons of legumes, and 52 thousand tons of edible oils.

She pointed out that the monthly import rate for the basket of meat products exceeded 20 thousand tons of red meat, about 56 thousand tons of milk and milk products, 53 thousand tons of poultry, 10,000 tons of eggs and 22 thousand tons of fish.

The Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector, and the Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Green Development and Climate Change Sector, Eng. Issa Al-Hashemi, said that the food trade is one of the most important and active sectors in the country, which witnessed a rapid recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Al-Hashemi added, in exclusive statements to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that ensuring the availability of food and the continuity and flexibility of supply chains is one of the main pillars that the Ministry is keen to achieve within its strategy to enhance food security for the country. He stressed that the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment is keen on the availability of food as one of the strategic priorities it is working on. In cooperation and coordination with the competent federal and local government agencies, within its strategic direction to enhance food security.

Al-Hashemi revealed that the number of approved markets for exporting live livestock (livestock) to the country is more than 48 countries around the world, while the number of slaughterhouses approved for exporting red and white meat to the country is 216 from 66 countries around the world.

He explained that according to the statistics of border crossings, the past months of this year recorded the entry of large food consignments into the country, which included goods and products that were put on the local market, and others that were re-exported, as the country is one of the most important global centers in re-export.

Diversify sources.

Al Hashemi pointed to the efforts of the UAE to ensure the availability of food and the continuity and flexibility of supply chains, which include permanent diversification of import sources so that no one market is relied upon for any commodity or product. India, Brazil, Canada, USA, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Pakistan.

External investment.

He pointed out that the efforts of the UAE to ensure the availability of food and the continuity of supply chains include the expansion of foreign agricultural investment operations in other countries, which focus on crops of strategic food items such as wheat and rice, and the main types of vegetables and fruits, in addition to livestock. It also includes investment in Crops and feed products.

Food Safety.

Al-Hashemi stressed that the ministry applies the highest standards of food safety systems to ensure the availability of foods that comply with the requirements and apply to the specifications of the state and the food constitution, in cooperation with its partners to enhance the safety of imported and traded food, provide safe food and protect consumers from harmful, contaminated or adulterated foods, through the application of a package of controls And the standards necessary to ensure food safety across all stages of the food chain in accordance with best practices and international standards, establishing and developing legislation, regulations, control procedures and information exchange mechanisms at the national and global levels, updating work procedures related to food safety, and enhancing community awareness of sound food practices.

increased system.

In order to ensure the implementation of the food safety system in accordance with the highest international standards and the tightness of food control, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment launched the electronic federal system for food registration and accreditation "ZAD", which facilitates and expedites the procedures for entering and releasing imported food.

The "Zad" system represents a unified database for the inventory and registration of food products traded through the country's outlets and markets. It also contributes to facilitating the process of tracking food products traded in outlets, in addition to providing statistical data that contributes to evaluating food products and determining their risks and levels of control.

The number of food products that were registered in (Zad) until the end of last year reached 949,200 food products, including a variety of food product categories, including 69,243 dairy products, and 64,991 meat products.

Zad is considered a qualitative leap in the field of food safety, and contributes to strengthening the position of the UAE as a global center for the import and re-export of food and the tightening of food control.

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