As part of its efforts to inspire and raise awareness among the youth community, Madar Farms hosted a workshop in Abu Dhabi to explore how new technologies are playing a key role in driving food sustainability in the UAE.
Held at the Abu Dhabi Youth Hub, more than 20 people took part in an interactive session designed to inspire the next generation to explore new approaches to local food production.
Through theory and practical experiments delivered by the Madar Farms team, the workshop ‘Technology and Future of Food’ focused on the importance of agriculture technology and innovation to food security.
The participants were told that because traditional outdoor farming methods are both a victim and driver of climate change, advanced food production technologies are integral to how we will feed the growing global population.
To address this, UAE-based company, Madar Farms has been leading a new agriculture revolution across the country by using advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) methods to grow local, high-quality, fresh produce with a combination of indoor vertical farming and hydroponics.
By using innovative technologies in controlled environments, Madar Farms can reduce its water consumption by more than 95 per cent, and grow healthy produce anywhere in the UAE 365 days a year.
During the workshop, the aspiring farmers learned first-hand how to grow vegetables using a soilless Aerospring indoor garden. Participants were also given a masterclass in tasting skills from a former chef, profiling and evaluating flavors through tasting kale, lettuce, and a variety of microgreens grown in Madar Farms’ hydroponic container farms.
The workshop is part of a series of regular activities by Madar Farms with the aim of educating the community about regional food and water security challenges and exploring local solutions.
Tatiana Shahir, Head of Education at Madar Farms said: “Madar Farms wants to create lasting change and education is integral to helping us achieve that. It was great to have so many youth attend our workshop today, and to see their enthusiasm and commitment to sustainable production and consumption.
“Platforms like these are important for UAE youth to understand both the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of AgTech.
“While we work closely with the government and wider industry, this workshop is part of a range of initiatives and programs that we run to highlight the central role that food plays in the sustainability agenda. We hope this will go some way to inspiring UAE youth to consider agriculture as an exciting and important career opportunity.”
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