US Secretary of Agriculture to lead trade mission to UAE, hold events on climate change

WASHINGTON- Tom Vilsack, the US Secretary of Agriculture, will lead a Department of Agriculture (USDA) trade mission to the UAE this month to hold events focused on the United States’ commitment to working with international partners to combat climate change, said the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

The delegation will include Daniel Whitley, Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator, as well as representatives from nearly 40 US agribusinesses, farm groups and state departments of agriculture seeking to tap new export opportunities.

On 21st February, Secretary Vilsack will tour Expo 2020 Dubai and co-chair the first Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) Ministerial Meeting. AIM for Climate was officially launched by the United States and the UAE in November 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. The initiative has grown to include more than 140 government and non-government partners that include international organisations, research institutions, and corporations.

During his visit, Secretary Vilsack will also participate in a fireside chat with Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, as part of the Expo 2020 Food Agriculture & Livelihoods Business Forum.

The UAE is a consistent billion dollar plus annual importer of US agricultural goods, with US agricultural exports to the market surpassing US$1.1 billion in 2021, a 17.8 percent increase from the previous year.