Food security is a global security imperative

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Food security is no longer measured simply by whether we can produce enough food. It is one of the defining strategic challenges of the 21st century, shaped by climate change, water scarcity, geopolitical uncertainty, and increasingly vulnerable global supply chains.

Recent disruptions—from extreme weather events to geopolitical tensions affecting international trade—have underscored a fundamental reality: no nation, regardless of its wealth or geography, can secure its food future alone.

Building resilient food systems requires far more than increasing agricultural output. It requires open and reliable trade, secure maritime routes, scientific innovation, sustainable water management, and strong international partnerships.

Together, these elements place food security at the intersection of economic resilience, sustainable development, and global stability.

These realities have shaped the United Arab Emirates' approach to food security. Despite its arid climate, water scarcity, and limited arable land, the UAE has treated food security as a strategic national resilience priority – one that extends well beyond agricultural production.

Through the National Food Security Strategy 2051, the country is strengthening food resilience by diversifying international supply sources, facilitating reliable food trade, expanding sustainable domestic production, strengthening strategic preparedness, reducing food loss and waste, and developing supply chains capable of withstanding future shocks.

Innovation is central to this vision. The UAE continues to invest in controlled-environment agriculture, hydroponics, vertical farming, precision irrigation, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other climate-smart agricultural solutions.

UAE-based companies are developing large-scale vertical farms that produce fresh produce in controlled environments while using significantly less water and land than conventional agriculture. These technologies can increase productivity while easing pressure on scarce water resources. ​​​​​

This transformation is not only about technology. Through initiatives led by the National Agriculture Centre and programmes supporting young and female farmers, the UAE is building national capabilities, fostering agricultural entrepreneurship, and strengthening the human capital needed for a competitive and future-ready food economy.

This approach also reflects a broader economic vision. Through the UAE Food Cluster Strategy, the country is connecting agriculture with advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, food processing, logistics, and research to build a more integrated and competitive food ecosystem.

The 2026 Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition brought together farmers, industry, investors, researchers, and government across the food value chain, reflecting an approach that sees food security not only as a resilience priority, but also as a driver of innovation, investment, skilled employment, and economic diversification.

The UAE’s experience also reflects a wider reality: national resilience depends on the resilience of the global food system. Modern agriculture relies on uninterrupted access to fertilizers, seeds, animal feed, energy, and efficient global logistics networks.

Disruptions to maritime routes or supply chains can quickly affect food availability, drive up prices, and threaten the livelihoods of millions—particularly in countries that depend heavily on imported food. Safeguarding the continuity of these flows is therefore not only an economic necessity; it is a humanitarian responsibility.

Nowhere is this interdependence more evident than in the Strait of Hormuz. This vital international waterway is a global lifeline, carrying approximately one-fifth of global energy supplies and around 30 per cent of the fertilizers essential to global food production.

Any disruption to such a critical artery is therefore not a regional concern alone. Its effects can reverberate through global markets and supply chains, with the greatest consequences often falling on vulnerable, food-import-dependent countries.

This wider responsibility has also shaped the UAE’s engagement through multilateral institutions. On 28 April 2026, the FAO Council adopted by consensus a UAE-led decision addressing the implications of supply chain disruptions in the Gulf region for global food security and agriculture.

The decision called for preventing the politicization of food and agricultural supply chains and strengthened the FAO’s role in monitoring disruptions, providing timely market information and early warnings, and supporting countries in building more resilient agri-food systems.

But resilience cannot be built through preparedness alone. We must also transform how food is produced, financed, and brought to the market, while confronting the growing pressures of climate change and resource scarcity.

The UAE has advanced this agenda internationally by placing food systems at the heart of the global climate conversation.

COP28 marked an important shift: for the first time, food and agriculture were given a prominent place within the climate agenda, reinforced by the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action.

Endorsed by 159 Heads of State and Government, the Declaration reflected a growing recognition that climate action cannot be separated from how the world produces, distributes, and consumes food.

COP28 also paired political ambition with practical investment, including the USD 200 million UAE–Gates Foundation partnership to accelerate agricultural innovation and strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers in the Global South.

COP28’s broader legacy was equally significant. Hosted by the UAE, the conference brought 198 Parties together to agree on the landmark UAE Consensus, setting out an ambitious climate agenda to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach.

The Consensus provided an ambitious response to the Global Stocktake and a clear plan to close critical gaps by 2030.

It called on Parties to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems to reach net zero, encouraged economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions, and set a new target to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.

It also built momentum behind a new architecture for climate finance. The significance of this outcome extends beyond climate policy.

Aligned with the visionary leadership of the UAE, the COP28 Presidency marked a turning point in the effort to achieve tangible and essential progress on global climate action while advancing sustainable economic and social development.

It demonstrated the value of bringing countries together around practical solutions, shared ambition, and collective action.

That same emphasis on turning innovation into practical solutions is increasingly important across Asia. In 2026, the UAE contributed USD 1.5 million to an agricultural innovation fund administered by the Asian Development Bank to help scale proven technologies for farmers across Asia and the Pacific.

The initiative supports tools ranging from artificial intelligence and satellite monitoring to more efficient use of agricultural inputs, demonstrating how international partnerships can turn technological innovation into practical gains for farmers and food systems.
For the UAE and Indonesia, this agenda carries particular relevance.

Indonesia is among the countries in which these agricultural innovations are intended to be scaled, creating a practical foundation for our two countries to deepen cooperation in agricultural technology, investment, knowledge exchange, and resilient food systems.

As two countries deeply connected to international trade and regional supply chains, the UAE and Indonesia share a strong interest in ensuring that food systems remain productive, sustainable, and capable of adapting to future shocks.

No country possesses all the answers to today's complex food security challenges. Every country, however, has knowledge, innovation, and experience to contribute.

Governments, international organizations, research institutions, development partners, and the private sector each have a role to play – from strengthening agricultural resilience and safeguarding supply chains to ensuring that innovation reaches the communities that need it most.

The future of food security will therefore depend not simply on producing more food, but on building systems that can withstand and adapt to a more uncertain world.

That means using water and natural resources more responsibly, keeping global trade and supply chains open and reliable, investing in innovation, and strengthening cooperation across countries and sectors.

Ultimately, success must be measured by a simple test: whether food remains available, accessible, and affordable—particularly when shocks occur.

In an increasingly interconnected world, no nation can secure food security alone. It is a shared responsibility — one that demands sustained cooperation, practical action, and collective leadership.

*) Abdulla Salem AlDhaheri is Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Non-Resident)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the ANTARA News Agency.

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