DUBAI, 21st April, 2026 (WAM) — The UAE reaffirmed that food security is a sovereign pillar and fundamental to national security, calling for proactive and adaptive strategies that strengthen supply chain resilience and shield regional and global food systems from the shocks of a volatile geopolitical and climatic landscape.
The UAE is serving as Chair of the 38th session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Conference for the Near East and North Africa (NERC38), convened in the Italian capital, Rome, with broad participation from ministers and senior officials in the region.
In her opening remarks as Chair of the current session, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, stressed that the UAE’s chairing of the current session comes at a critical moment that calls on the region to move beyond crisis management and assume an active role in driving meaningful, lasting transformation.
Drawing on the UAE’s experience, Al Dahak highlighted how water scarcity and limited arable land had been transformed into catalysts for innovation and technological advancement, urging member states to mobilise climate finance and place equity at the centre of efforts to protect rural populations bearing the heaviest burden of environmental change.
She stressed that the groundbreaking outcomes of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action are designed to go beyond political commitment, serving as the foundational framework and guiding reference for regional efforts across the Near East and North Africa to build resilient and sustainable food systems.
Dr Al Dahak revealed that nature-based solutions are capable of achieving rewarding economic returns, making the protection of ecosystems a profitable investment and a developmental necessity.
She cautioned against land degradation which threatens the livelihoods of over 410 million people in the region, emphasising that every dollar withheld today from supporting food security will cost the world hundreds of times more tomorrow in tackling crises.
Calling on the international community, Al Dahak drew attention to the striking inequity of climate impacts, highlighting data showing that women and poor rural communities absorb income losses from climate shocks far exceeding those faced by wealthier populations. Dr Al Dahak called for a decisive reform of financing frameworks to embed equity and inclusivity at their core.
The Ministerial Meeting, held under the theme ‘Innovating for the Transformation of Agrifood Systems’, reviewed an intensive working agenda focused on urgent responses to systemic shocks resulting from conflicts and climate change.
The conference included a high-level roundtable on accelerating circular solutions in agricultural value chains and discussed ways to bridge the climate financing gap in the region, in support of sustainable rural development pathways.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) presented its recent assessment on the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on food systems, where discussions warned of the severe impact of geopolitical tensions on supply chains and the trade of fertilizers and energy.
The assessment indicated that the disruption of navigation in strategic maritime corridors, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 30% of global fertiliser trade passes, leads directly to higher costs for agricultural production inputs.
Reports clarified that these imbalances, represented by increased costs of fertilizers and fuel, threaten a decline in crop yields and a contraction of global grain supplies, severely affecting import-dependent countries.
Mohammed Saeed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, affirmed that the UAE leadership’s forward-looking vision has made proactivity a cornerstone of how the country manages its national food security. This approach has given the national system both the operational flexibility and the foresight needed to get ahead of emerging challenges and pressures, including those that have recently disrupted critical maritime routes.
He said, “The UAE’s measured and strategic approach has proven highly effective in keeping goods moving and stabilising domestic markets. This success is built on world-class logistics infrastructure and a broad network of international partnerships, which together allow the country to diversify its import sources and build more resilient supply chains. At the same time, protecting freedom of navigation and keeping global supply chains running smoothly are not merely policy goals, they are essential conditions for securing the agricultural inputs that food production depends on, and for safeguarding food security across the region and beyond. This is especially critical at a time when fertiliser and energy markets remain highly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions.”
He outlined the UAE’s commitment to translating policy into action, underscoring that the country is driving a comprehensive institutional transformation aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector and securing supply chains.
At the ministerial roundtables held on the sidelines of the conference, Al Nuaimi underscored the importance of unlocking development and innovative financing as a powerful lever for supporting regional economies and food systems. He spotlighted the UAE’s strategic engagement through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, driving investment in water infrastructure and land reclamation across the region and internationally, as well as the Emirates Development Bank’s commitment of AED 100 million to support agricultural technology projects at home.
In a strategic move to ensure economic returns for farmers, HE Al Nuaimi shed light on the UAE’s pioneering efforts aimed at creating guaranteed market demand for local products.
He also called on the FAO to adopt a proactive approach to protect import-dependent countries by developing early warning systems to monitor food, energy, and fertiliser markets, similar to the ‘Observatory’ initiative. This would help strengthen the ability of countries in the region to predict future shocks and contain them before they occur.
The UAE delegation emphasised the importance of youth in leading change in the regional and global agricultural sector, as Laila Ahmed Al Dhaheri, Agricultural Development Researcher at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, stated that empowering youth and investing in agricultural technology innovation represents the most reliable route to unlocking the productive potential of arid lands on a global scale. She urged a reimagining of youth’s role from being beneficiaries to active participants in decision-making. She also underscored innovative startup financing as the key driver for bringing climate-smart agricultural solutions to life through young entrepreneurs.
The Ministerial Meeting concluded with a strong regional consensus to develop a comprehensive roadmap under the UAE’s Presidency, aimed at aligning national policies and deepening regional integration to protect critical trade and logistical corridors.
Through the Ministerial Declaration, participants committed to accelerating the adoption of circular bioeconomy innovations, scaling up investment in climate-smart agricultural solutions, and strengthening ecosystem restoration programmes to address the interlinked challenges of water scarcity and climate change.
The conference affirmed that this session marks a defining turning point for the region shifting collective action from diagnosing challenges to coordinated implementation on the ground. With a clear focus on mobilising finance and advancing the exchange of knowledge and modern agricultural technologies, the session set a firm course towards building resilient and inclusive food systems capable of withstanding geopolitical pressures and securing the food future of generations to come.
Source: Emirates News Agency