In November 2018, during the UAE Government’s second Annual Meetings, Mariam Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, presented the National Strategy for Food Security. The strategy defines the elements of the national food basket, which includes 18 main types, based on 3 main criteria:

• knowledge of the volume of domestic consumption of the most important products
• production capacity
• processing and nutritional needs.

It includes 38 short and long-term key initiatives and is geared by 5 strategic goals focusing on:

• facilitating the global food trade
• diversifying food import sources
• identifying alternative supply schemes, covering three to five sources for each major food category.

The strategy aims to:

• make the UAE the world’s best in the Global Food Security Index by 2051 and among the top 10 countries by 2021.
• develop a comprehensive national system based on enabling sustainable food production through the use of modern technologies
• enhance local production
• develop international partnerships to diversify food sources
• activate legislation and policies that contribute to improving nutrition
• activate legislation and policies to reduce waste.

By launching the National Food Security Strategy 2051, the UAE aims to achieve zero hunger by ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round throughout the world. The strategy specifically aims to implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems.