UAE has become one of the world's leading Agritech hubs, attracting world-class talent, trailblazers, and innovators keen on solving one major problem: food security!
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai has launched the ‘Food Tech Valley’ a new initiative that seeks to triple the UAE’s food production.
Food tech valley will become the country's innovation and vertical farming hub.
GCC has one of the world's most arid climates and is heavily dependent on imported food. With that said, the GCC is racing to provide food security.
Here are our top 5 contributors to food security in the GCC in 2021, chosen from hundreds of companies.
5: Crop One
As part of a partnership announced by Crop One on July 28th, 2018, all vegetables used for catering for Emirates flights will not be reimported from the UAE on all flights back around the world, but instead grown locally in the UAE.
4: Badia Farms
UAE's homegrown favorite! In 2016, Badia farms was the first of many vertical indoor farms to open in the UAE. Badia farms are known for producing micro greens and herbs for some of Dubai's best restaurants, including Coya, Robertos, and Tasha's.
3: Marmum Dairy
In 1984, Marmum dairy began operations with 250 Danish cows. They have continued to grow to meet the dynamic requirements of their audience not only in the category of milk, but also across the dairy and juice categories.
2: Fish Farm LLC
Founded in 2013, Fish Farm LLC focuses on marine fish breeding to support the local aquaculture industry and reduce the reliance on imports. Fish Farm has three facilities in Dubai - a caged farming facility in Dibba, a hatchery in Umm al-Quwain, and an inland farm in Jebel Ali. Their production capacity reaching 2 million kgs in 2017 continues their path to achieve global leadership in aquaculture.
1: Verticroft Holdings
https://verticroftholdings.com
Verticroft Holdings was founded in 2018 and is the Middle East’s first vertically integrated food security company producing grass fed lamb in the desert of the UAE. Verticroft Holdings produce their own hydroponic animal feed, vertically in shipping containers and raise their livestock on locally produced feed. The company has 70,000 SQM of feedlot farms in the UAE and can produce one tonne of fresh green feed in 30SQM of space 365 days a year regardless of climate. Verticroft Holdings produces one of the best lamb you have ever tasted, supplying to some of the best hotels in the UAE.
Several of the world's leading investors are taking an interest in food security, according to pitch book, with 21.4 billion invested by venture capital in 2020.
As the world’s population continues to grow, and climate change stays at the forefront of investing, food tech and agtech is one of the hottest sectors in the world right now.
