UAE partnership aims to revolutionise sustainable farming and urban greenery with circular tech

In a move that’s pretty exciting, and honestly, could really shake things up in sustainable farming and city landscaping in the UAE, Emirates Rawabi PSC, a major player in agribusiness, has teamed up with ReFarm Global Investments LLC, a company known for its innovative approaches to circular and regenerative sustainability tech. This partnership aims to overhaul how food is produced, while also rethinking urban greenery efforts, aligning perfectly with the UAE’s ambitious plans for sustainability and food security.

What’s interesting here is how Emirates Rawabi’s broad know-how in dairy, poultry, feed, and food production is now being combined with ReFarm’s advanced tech, especially their waste-to-value systems, soil regeneration techniques, and efforts to improve air, soil, and water quality. They’re working toward creating a circular agribusiness model that is not only cost-efficient and eco-friendly but also regenerative in nature. The goal is to boost soil health, improve resource use, and slash water consumption, a huge deal, especially given the UAE’s hot, arid climate.

Oliver Christof, CEO of ReFarm Global Investments, expressed their vision: “Our mission is to restore a balance between nature, tech, and progress. We want to give farmers, city planners, and food producers innovative, sustainable systems that are also economically sensible. The idea is to bolster food security and conserve essential resources like air, soil, and water.” He pointed out that there’s a shared goal to make the UAE a leader in regenerative, circular agriculture, pretty ambitious, but definitely a worthwhile effort to grow healthier crops with fewer inputs.

Mazen Al Refae, CEO of Emirates Rawabi PSC, stressed that sustainability is at the core of what they do. Through their Emirates Rawabi Sustainable Solutions (ERSS), they’re already employing a circular model that blends biogas production, solar energy, and advanced water treatment, an approach designed to keep their farming practices responsible and resilient. He called the partnership a milestone that would push the integration of scalable, practical solutions right from the soil to the plate, aiming for circularity and clear environmental benefits.

But it’s not just about traditional farming. They’re also eyeing urban environments and city landscapes. The idea is to help Dubai realize its vision of becoming one of the world’s most beautiful, innovative, and livable cities. That means creating a master plan for urban greening that boosts irrigation efficiency, reduces the urban heat island effect, and promotes resilient green spaces. Basically, they want eco-friendly landscaping that uses less water and improves the quality of parks and green zones all over the city.

In terms of concrete steps, pilot projects will be set up across the UAE, showcasing circular agriculture in real-world scenarios, from turning agricultural waste into resources to implementing regenerative soil and water systems. These projects are part of the broader national push to increase food security, tackle climate change, and advance sustainable development.

This partnership comes at a time when the UAE is also pushing forward with other big initiatives in agricultural innovation. For instance, Dubai’s Food Tech Valley is working on a huge “GigaFarm” project with ReFarm, expected to be up and running by 2026. Covering about 900,000 square feet, this farm is designed as a closed-loop system that uses multiple technologies to maximize resource use, recycle over 50,000 tonnes of food waste annually, and produce approximately 3,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables and fruits. The plan is for this GigaFarm to replace around 1% of the UAE’s imported fresh produce, helping the country move toward cleaner, more sustainable food production.

Additionally, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry is backing sustainable growth in the agri-food sector. They’re promoting companies like ReFarm that embrace circular economy principles, highlighting a trend of the UAE actively supporting innovative tech like hydroponics, vertical farms, smart greenhouses, and organic farming, all aimed at lowering their environmental footprint.

All in all, the Emirates Rawabi-ReFarm partnership really stands out as a strategic move to lead the way toward a sustainable, regenerative agricultural future in the UAE. By weaving together tech, ecological stewardship, and economic sense, this initiative could serve as a model for other regions facing similar challenges, showing how integrated, regenerative approaches can shape the future of both food systems and urban environments.

And, considering how climate change and water scarcity are making traditional farming more difficult, innovations like these could be vital in creating resilience and sustainability. Through their circular farm models and urban greening strategies, Emirates Rawabi and ReFarm Global are positioning the UAE not just as a desert nation with a pretty solid food security plan, but also as a global example of how smart, integrated technologies can help redefine agriculture and urban living in the years ahead.

Source: Noah Wire Services