UAE has invested 2 billion USD to develop food parks in India to help alleviate food insecurity issues in South Asia and the Middle East. The statements as per a Reuters news report, were made during a virtual summit with UAE, Israel USA, and Indian leaders.
Using advanced climate technology, the Food parks would minimize waste; conserve water while maximizing crop yields. The crops that will be focused on will include potatoes, rice and onions.
Vinay Kwatra, Indian foreign secretary stated, “ Apart from benefiting local farmers, the food parks would help reduce trade barriers and unify food safety standards. They would also provide India with an opportunity to benchmark its perishable food products for global export and allow Indian produce access to the strategic Gulf markets starting with UAE.”
Speaking in Jerusalem at a virtual summit with UAE, Israeli and Indian leaders, U.S. President Joe Biden said the investment could “increase India’s food yields in the region three-fold in just five years”.
The GCC countries import 80-90 percent of their food needs. GCC countries have invested in farmland overseas as well as agritech in their own countries to mitigate food security challenges.
The Food parks as well as renewable energy projects in India would be supported by the Israeli and U.S. private sectors, US President Biden noted.
U.N. agencies warned this month that the war in Ukraine and climate change could push starvation and mass migration to unprecedented levels.
