Cooked up for climate, UAE’s high-tech food plan pays off in pandemic

Quinoa seedlings are pictured at ICBA headquarters in Dubai, UAE. — International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)/Handout via Reuters

ABU DHABI: In the past four years, the United Arab Emirates has grown a small but rising share of its own organic tomatoes, aiming to shore up food security in an import-dependent desert country.

The effort – part of a broader push to produce more home-grown food amid fears climate change could trigger instability in the global food trade – started after the country was hit by food export bans during the 2008-2009 financial crisis.