The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has unveiled a new agricultural development plan targeted at enhancing the efficiency of sustainable farming.

Its goal is to persuade all of the emirate's farmers to adopt a climate-friendly strategy.

"The comprehensive strategy for agricultural sustainability is in accordance with worldwide trends to encourage climate-smart agriculture and food production," said Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and chairman of Adafsa's board of directors.

"The climate neutrality project fosters innovation, technological localization, the development of advanced farming techniques, food security, and the conservation of natural resources, all of which contribute to sustainable development."

Climate-smart agriculture aims to boost farm productivity and profitability while also responding to climate change and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Adafsa seeks to enhance water usage in Abu Dhabi and minimise dependency on the emirate's finite supply of groundwater by unifying the way farms operate throughout the emirate.

Farmers will be encouraged to use recycled or desalinated water and to grow crops that use less water and are more tolerant of the UAE's hot, salty climate.

Water consumption laws will be introduced as well.

Farmers in Abu Dhabi have already been urged to switch to organic farming, with 75 farms having previously done so.

Adafsa's research stations are also looking at the viability of smart farming techniques like vertical farms, which can produce five to ten times the yields of traditional agriculture, and drip irrigation, which can save water.

Using integrated algorithms, researchers are also looking into ways to discover and predict epidemics and animal diseases.

Adafsa developed its agriculture plan in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

The Authority has launched the Abu Dhabi Gap programme, a local version of the Global Gap Global Agricultural Practices Program, which uses quality agricultural production standards to assure food safety, long-term environmental management, and worker health.

Farms that follow these guidelines receive a globally recognised certificate.

It has been distributed to 550 farms in Abu Dhabi so far, with the number projected to climb to over 1,500 by the end of next year.