UAE to Implement Hydroponics for Livestock Feed Production

To reduce dependency on imports and protect against global supply chain disruptions, the UAE is embracing vertical hydroponics to produce food for local livestock. Abu Dhabi-based start-up World of Farming is preparing to launch on-site operations at local farms later this year.

This innovative approach will supply fodder for meat and dairy producers. Currently, the UAE relies on imports for 80% to 90% of its animal feed, according to Faris Mesmar, CEO of Hatch & Boost Ventures, a venture capital firm that creates and scales its own startups.

In an interview, Mesmar highlighted the region’s lack of arable land and growing concerns over dependence on imports for local, privately held, and commercial farms.

Local livestock producers face inconsistent access to animal feed. To address global supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, resource-scarce countries in the Middle East and Asia are seeking to mitigate food shocks. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further disrupted supplies from one of the world’s leading grain exporters. Additionally, heat waves have damaged crops in Europe and the US.

Desert nations like the UAE are turning to techniques such as hydroponics, drip irrigation, and enclosed cultivation to reduce expensive imports of high-value fresh produce.

In July, Dubai-based airline Emirates opened the world’s largest hydroponic farm to supply leafy greens for in-flight meals. Hydroponic vertical farms grow plants without soil, using a water-based nutrient solution and artificial light.

World of Farming’s technology is space-efficient, produces fodder with a lower carbon footprint than traditional agriculture, and requires less water.

Greg Ohannessian, co-founder of UAE-based food security consultancy Soma Mater, which has worked on vertical and hydroponic projects, noted that feed can account for more than 60% of animal protein producers’ operating costs. An affordable feed source can support a more resilient food system in the UAE.

World of Farming plans to build, operate, and manage growing operations on private and commercial farms across the Middle East and North Africa, with livestock owners paying a monthly fee for the feed produced. Hatch & Boost has committed to pre-seed World of Farming and aims to secure over $2 million in a fundraising round later this year.

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