Former US secretary of agriculture praises UAE sustainability drive

Dan Glickman says UAE and the US are fighting climate change, promoting sustainability and dealing with food waste

The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate aims to make agriculture more resilient and climate friendly. Photo: AIM for Climate

Dan Glickman, formerly the US secretary of agriculture under President Bill Clinton, on Monday praised the UAE for its role in efforts to build more sustainable agricultural and food systems.

Mr Glickman, who served in the administration from 1995 to 2001, told an event in Dubai that the UAE-US Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) was one example of how the Emirates was looking to develop greener, more sustainable agriculture solutions.

AIM for Climate was launched at Cop26 in Glasgow with billions of dollars now pledged by governments and private-sector bodies to make agriculture more environmentally friendly, sustainable and resilient to climate change.

“We … had a conference in Washington this week with UAE ministers, the US Secretary of Agriculture, former vice president Al Gore and hundreds of leading figures from all over the world coming to talk about this initiative,” said Mr Glickman, speaking through video link at the Fighting Food Waste: Pathways for People, Planet and Prosperity event.

“[This] has grown to about $13 billion and demonstrates the commitment of the UAE and the United States in fighting climate change, producing food more sustainably and dealing with food waste.”

AIM for Climate seeks to boost the use of vertical farming, hydroponics and aquaculture with the UAE already using such technology.

Mr Glickman said as the UAE prepares to host Cop28, it was vital the global community addressed food waste and its “impact on climate change, poverty and hunger around the world”.

"Food waste and its impact on climate change is dramatic,” said Mr Glickman. “We throw away about one third of the food that's produced for human consumption, amounting to about 1.3 billion tonnes of food a year.

“I encourage you all to leverage this opportunity to advance our collective goal of a sustainable future.

"With the right initiatives and co-operation, we can ensure a healthy planet for generations to come and plenty of food to feed the hungry around the world.”

The World Wildlife Fund has estimated about 6 per cent to 8 per cent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if the world stops wasting food. UN officials have said the issue is linked directly to climate change.

“As we prepare to host Cop28 next year, it is vital to understand how food loss, waste and climate change are interlinked,” Dena Assaf, UN resident co-ordinator for the UAE, said at an event in Dubai last September.

“When food is wasted, all the energy resources and money that went into producing, processing, packaging and transporting it are also wasted," she said. "Therefore reducing food waste is an impactful response to climate change."

At Cop28, which will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30 to December 12, world leaders will try to tackle the escalating climate emergency.

Mr Glickman, meanwhile, was speaking at an event staged by communications company Apco Worldwide. He is the chairman of its international advisory council, a group of more than 100 people from former politicians to business leaders that offer clients advice.