Ireland To Become Partner For Middle East’s Food Security Objectives

The naturalness of the product influences their grocery choices.

According to the report, Ireland’s producers have long been recognised as having the premium, high-quality, and finest dairy, meat, and prepared foods in the world—thanks to their lush green fields, clean air, and plentiful rain. In recent years, however, Irish food has taken on a new directive as consumers around the world become increasingly interested in the source of their food and its impact on their health and the environment. As a result, food provenance has become a key selling point for Irish businesses, resulting in a 45 percent increase in exports to the UAE from Ireland in 2022.

Food supply is, however, dependent on the smooth operation of supply chains. Globally, supply chain disruptions and the region's high reliance on food imports, with countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE importing nearly 80% of their dietary requirements, have energised governments in the region's plans to make their ecosystems more food secure.

To achieve its food security goals, Middle Eastern countries will need to build comprehensive local food systems based on diversified agriculture and sustainable food production using modern and adaptive technologies, according to the report.

Our exports globally have more than tripled from AED 22.07 billion to AED 65.81 billion in the past two decades, making the food sector the largest and most valuable part of our economy—thanks to our commitment to sustainable food production and farm-to-fork tracking mechanisms. It has helped us become a trusted supplier and trading partner for high-quality, premium food and drinks.

Despite successes in developing domestic food production capabilities, the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounted for 50 percent of Ireland’s trade within the Gulf region last year.

With population growth expected to reach 58 million by 2050, demand for food and beverage imports will continue to rise.

The region not only has an increasing expat population, causing high demand for high-quality Western food and beverage products, but it is also conveniently close to Ireland, making it easier and more cost-effective for Middle East countries to import. These factors, combined with our strong trade relations with Arab countries, should be leveraged to meet the food security needs of the region.

The strengthening of ties with the Middle East is especially welcome as it has coincided with Ireland’s relationship with its nearest neighbour, the UK.

Further stated in the report, since the Brexit Referendum in June 2016, Bord Bia has been preparing for this change and has focused on ongoing engagement at the senior level within key retail and foodservice customers to strengthen relationships, understand the key challenges, and ensure businesses are as prepared as possible, drawing on over 20 years of forward-looking food and drink strategies.

What’s important to remember is the close trading relationship that exists between Ireland and the UK, even after Brexit.

The UK remains the largest single country market for Irish food and drink exports, with exports valued at an estimated €5.4 billion in 2022, an increase of 20 percent on 2021 levels. Irish exporters have navigated their way through considerable uncertainty in terms of the new trading environment with the UK and, more recently, a rapidly slowing British economy. In fact, 72 percent of Irish food and drink businesses have said they expect to maintain or grow their sales to the UK.

Moreover, according to the report, the world is beginning to take notice of Irish innovative solutions that are restoring traditional agricultural systems, an aspect that was central to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) signed last year with the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine of Ireland to enhance food security.

The agreement allows for the exchange of successful innovation and technology-based initiatives or practises to optimise food and water management, promote foreign investments in sustainable agriculture, facilitate agricultural trade, and share knowledge on addressing the critical water, food, and energy nexus.