UAE And Japan Strengthen Ties In Food Security And Climate-Smart Agriculture

Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, recently met with Sakamoto Tetsushi, Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. They discussed enhancing cooperation in food security and advanced climate-smart agriculture between the UAE and Japan. This meeting is part of the UAE-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Initiative (CSPI), aimed at implementing various projects and programmes.

The ministers explored ways to boost agricultural and fisheries cooperation under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between their respective ministries. They also discussed expanding food trade between the two nations. Dr. Al Dahak highlighted the strong relationship between the UAE and Japan, which is evident in their strategic partnership across various fields, particularly in enhancing food security.

During their discussion, Dr. Al Dahak emphasised Japan's importance as a partner in food security for the UAE. She noted numerous opportunities to deepen this collaboration through expertise exchange, increased investments, and modern agricultural practices. This includes transforming fish farms into sustainable systems aligned with the UAE's goals of leveraging innovation and technology for national food security.

Dr. Al Dahak expressed her pleasure in meeting Sakamoto Tetsushi, stating they agreed to work together on shared goals in agriculture and fisheries. She mentioned plans to enhance cooperation through team collaborations, more meetings, and events highlighting common food security objectives. "We believe that partnership and cooperation are paramount to achieving our objectives," she said.

The meeting also covered expanding sustainable agriculture cooperation through technology transfer, research, precision farming, smart greenhouses, biotechnology, marine conservation, advanced fishing techniques, robust fisheries management regulations, and other areas.

Upcoming Summits and Invitations

Dr. Al Dahak invited her Japanese counterpart to attend the World Food Security Summit in Abu Dhabi from 26th to 27th November 2024 during Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week (ADAFSW). The Japanese Minister reciprocated by inviting MOCCAE to participate in the 3rd Subcommittee meetings on Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change in Japan this August.

Additionally, they discussed priorities for COP29 in Azerbaijan this year. These include long-term cooperation on climate change adaptation and climate finance between the UAE and Japan.

Japan's Role in Global Initiatives

Japan was congratulated by Dr. Al Dahak for being selected as the host country for Expo 2025. She highlighted this achievement as a testament to Japan's capability to organise world-leading events. Japan has been instrumental in promoting global efforts in food security and climate change mitigation alongside the UAE.

Japan was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the UAE. It has significantly contributed to promoting global efforts in food security and climate change mitigation alongside the UAE.

Japan is a key partner of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), a joint initiative by the United States and UAE endorsed by over 600 partners pledging more than $17 billion towards modern Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA).

Moreover, Japan is part of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC), launched by the UAE with Indonesia to promote mangroves as natural carbon sinks aiding climate change adaptation.

The meeting underscored both nations' commitment to sustainable economic growth through enhanced cooperation across various fields.

The discussions reaffirmed that partnerships like these are crucial for achieving shared objectives towards a sustainable future.

With inputs from WAM