Abu Dhabi invests US$100 million in agricultural technology companies to secure food supply chains, Bloomberg reports
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has made agreements with agricultural technology companies, including Madar Farms, to deliver research and development and food production facilities in the emirate, Bloomberg reported. Authorities invested US$100 million in the companies, which also include AeroFarms and RNZ, as they look to build vertical farms to secure supply chains in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, the news organization said.
UAE-based Madar Farms recently received funding from the ADIO to develop the world’s first commercial-scale indoor tomato farm that uses only LED lighting; the facility will feature the most water-efficient system in the world, the company announced at this year’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Madar Farms is also collaborating with Masdar City on Bustani – a Smart Home Farming Showcase demonstrating emerging farming solutions that will help UAE residents become more self-sufficient in meeting their everyday food needs.
As a hub for research and development, Masdar City is trialing a number of innovations to support the UAE government’s mandate on food security. In 2019, the city partnered with the Office for Future Food Security to pilot projects that could provide secure and reliable food to the UAE.
