The UAE has offered $2 billion to assist establish a series of “food parks” in the country as part of a four-nation cooperative formed by the US to combat food insecurity. India will provide the land and farmers, but it lacks consistent irrigation and sophisticated technologies. This is where the corporate sectors of the United States and Israel will come in to give their expertise.
According to Reuters, the parks would bring together farmers, processors, and merchants to use modern climate technology to reduce waste, preserve water, and maximise agricultural yields. The result will aid in the development of food security in West and South Asia.
The investment could “triple India’s food output in the area in only five years,” US President Joe Biden said at a virtual I2U2 conference in Jerusalem with UAE, Israeli, and Indian officials.
Why are the UAE, the US, and Israel interested in Indian agriculture?
Food availability has been impacted by Covid-related supply chain interruptions, leading to price increases. Given that Russia and Ukraine are the world’s third and fourth major grain exporters, respectively, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has heightened worries of global food shortages.
India has shown to be a reliable option. However, some assistance is required. For example, when it was establishing itself as a major worldwide wheat exporter, the government was forced to suspend exports due to record-high domestic food inflation.
“All of these concerns need collaboration and coordination, and none of us can launch a complete response on our own,” Biden said.
What will the sites of India’s “food parks” be?
Gujarat, prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state, has agreed to build a 300-megawatt hybrid wind and solar energy plant. According to Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, food parks would be established in Madhya Pradesh, another state held by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
The first emphasis will be on growing bananas, potatoes, grains, onions, and spices.
