01 December 2023, Dubai: The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today visited Bustanica, a company in the United Arab Emirates that boasts the “world’s largest vertical farm,” ahead of his participation at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai.
Qu was accompanied on his visit by Mohamed Al Ameeri, the Assistant Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector at the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
Speaking after the visit, the Director-General said achieving food security amid the climate crisis requires investments that leverage science and innovation.
“I was inspired and energized to visit the world’s largest vertical farm in the UAE. We need to produce more, better food while efficiently using our natural resources,” Qu said.
Emirates Crop One’s Bustanica says its vertical farm reduces the UAE’s reliance on fresh produce imports, as well as the amount of water required to grow produce by 95 percent.
Its technology is built on the principles of controlled environment agriculture. The plants receive the exact amount of nutrients, water and light as they would in nature while being protected from external contaminants and harsh weather. Moreover, this approach allows to grow plants that don’t need to be washed and can be eaten straight out of the pack.
The FAO Director-General was later scheduled to attend the opening reception of the Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum in Dubai.
