Quinoa Value Chain Development in the UAE

Quinoa’s exceptional nutritional quality, as well as its superior performance under drought and salinity constraints, make it an ideal crop for farmers living in areas with marginal environmental conditions, such as those present in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Local production of quinoa in the UAE could offer multiple benefits, including revitalizing the country’s agricultural sector, bringing degraded lands back into production, creating new opportunities for agribusinesses, reducing the reliance on imports, and strengthening the country’s present and future food security.

ICBA has been working since 2006 on testing and evaluating the performance of several quinoa cultivars in terms of productivity and performance under marginal conditions. This work was undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCaE) of the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Center (now renamed the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA)), the Peruvian National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) and the National Agrarian University – La Molina (UNALM). ICBA coordinated field trials of 121 different quinoa genotypes on a range of soils in the UAE and using different irrigation water qualities, aiming to identify the genotypes suitable for cultivation in marginal environments with climatic and agro-ecological conditions like those of the UAE.

Out of the 121 germplasm accessions tested, ICBA shortlisted five high-yielding and salt-tolerant quinoa genotypes demonstrating outstanding potential based on large-scale field trials in sandy and salty soils. These five genotypes showed outstanding results when planted at five locations within the Northern Emirates and the Western Region of Abu Dhabi in the UAE under different growing conditions. Three of the five selected genotypes were later introduced and successfully tested in Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan; positive results from these trials led to further evaluation in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. These quinoa elite lines had an average protein content of 14.3%, dietary fiber of 18.1%, and fatty acid content of 4.1%. Regarding mineral composition, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron were much higher than in other major cereals.

Of the five most promising quinoa genotypes, two (ICBA-Q3 and ICBA-Q5) have been submitted to MoCCaE for registration and release for commercial cultivation in the UAE. Both ICBA-Q3 and ICBA-Q5 are high-yielding; however, ICBA-Q5 is early-maturing (~100 days) while ICBA-Q3 is a medium-duration variety (130-140 days). These varieties would be the best candidates for cultivation in the UAE on a commercial scale.

The introduction of commercial cultivation of quinoa in the UAE could be constrained by the following factors:

• Lack of awareness among local farmers on quinoa’s suitability for the UAE’s agroclimatic conditions, as well as its nutritional qualities or its potential as a lucrative cash crop;
• Lack of knowledge about best crop management practices;
• Poor or non-existent post-production value chain, including processing, value addition, and marketing;
• Limited market demand, given that quinoa is a relatively new food product for the UAE and the region.

To establish a new agricultural value chain in the UAE and address the aforementioned constraints, ICBA proposes implementing a project in collaboration with the Silal Food and Technology L.L.C. (Silal). Silal was established to diversify sources of food products, stimulate local manufacturing and agri-food sectors, and support the efforts of the Government of Abu Dhabi to secure food supply chains as well as to boost the supply and distribution of food in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The proposed project will build the capacity of Silal employees, local farmers and other value chain actors through hands-on training on best practices in quinoa agronomic management, high-quality quinoa seed production, post-harvest handling of seeds and valorization of the quinoa grain. The project will thus enable Silal and other stakeholders to fulfil various consumer preferences, both within the UAE and for export purposes.

Project objectives

The overall goal of the proposed project is to contribute to the UAE’s food security strategy, which aims to ensure that the country’s population has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for an active and healthy life at affordable prices.

The main objective of this project is to enable the cultivation of nutritious and high-yielding quinoa varieties in targeted agricultural areas in the UAE on a commercial scale and support the development of a vibrant new agricultural value chain for the benefit of farmers and consumers.

Proposed approach

ICBA will provide Silal with its ICBA-Q3 and ICBA-Q5 varieties, currently undergoing the approval and registration process with MoCCaE. Once the process is completed, the varieties will be released to Silal through a licensing agreement.