US Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack has said a US-UAE plan to fight hunger by driving research into new farming techniques was growing fast and would likely be launched at key climate talks in Glasgow starting next month.
Mr Vilsack said the number of countries involved in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate had tripled to 18 since it was unveiled at US President Joe Biden’s climate summit in April and that research priorities were being identified.
Once operational, the “AIM for Climate” initiative will drive research into innovations to boost agricultural output and feed the world’s 800 million hungry people while cutting the industry’s emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases.
“The key here is to try to get as many countries committed to accelerating and to co-ordinating and to share research so that we can get the technologies and the techniques into the field that will ultimately allow us to reduce the emissions connected to agriculture,” Mr Vilsack told The National on Thursday.
He said the programme would probably have a “formal launch” at the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow, which kicks off on October 31 and aims to drive ambitious global climate action — and the money to pay for it — as global warming spirals out of control.
Mr Vilsack called for more research into gene editing - which seeks to alter the DNA of plants and animals to boost yields - and ways to increase water supplies and irrigate crops amid the droughts that increasingly ravage farmlands as the planet warms.
“We know the research that's necessary to accelerate more sustainable production. We know that there are climate-smart technologies and approaches that need to be advanced,” said Mr Vilsack.
“The question is, how do we accelerate the research on gene editing? How do we accelerate the technologies that we know will ultimately help us get to a net-zero future in agriculture?”
Mr Vilsack spoke as officials gathered for an online food summit at the annual UN General Assembly in New York, aimed at revamping agricultural systems to feed more people while causing less harm to the planet.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has said that one third of all greenhouse gases are emitted by the world’s farming and delivery systems and agriculture chiefs should switch to “nature-based solutions”.
At the talks, the US announced it would invest more than $10 billion over several years to promote a transformation of food systems by cutting food waste, improving infrastructure and other steps.
Amina Mohammed, deputy head of the world body, said research programmes — such as AIM for Climate — would help if innovations more frequently made it out of the lab and into fields across the developing world.
“There’s an abundance of existing research that needs to be lifted and taken to the country level,” said Ms Mohammed. “We need to build the science and research capacity at the local level as well.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, unveiled the programme in April at Mr Biden’s climate summit of 40 world leaders, which focused on getting the world back on track to keeping global temperature rise under control.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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