ABU DHABI- Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, stated that the Ministry of Climate Change plans to launch a new food safety standards system in the next two months.

The new system will ensure that only top-rated food products that comply with the highest international standards can enter the country, he added, stressing that safety inspections on local production operations will also be strengthened.

In his interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Al Nuaimi said that the system aims to improve the capabilities of screening and impoundment centres at all UAE entry points, to ensure the rapid screening of food products entering the country and local markets.

The ministry is currently cooperating with the private sector in launching a major national project aimed at marketing local agricultural products, to improve customer trust in these products and boost their competitiveness, he added.

This week, the ministry will launch a youth food security project, which aims to create advanced tech-enabled agricultural stations, in line with the UAE’s climate conditions, as well as to improve the agricultural skills of youth and enable them to manage the latest agricultural systems, he said.

Al Nuaimi stressed that the ministry is implementing an advanced agricultural guidance system to encourage Emirati farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and systems that help preserve natural resources and utilise advanced technology, noting that the ministry is continuing to motivate youth to engage in agricultural entrepreneurship, by linking them with relevant financing institutions.

Regarding the UAE Climate Strategy, Al Nuaimi affirmed that the ministry is drafting a regional climate action model through the UAE Climate Change Research Network, which will work with many academic institutions on researching climate change in the region.

 

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2021.