Global Food Week 2025 Concludes with a Bold Vision for Plant-Based Protein in the Middle East
Global Food Week 2025 has officially wrapped in Abu Dhabi, leaving behind a clear message: the future of food in the Middle East is plant-powered, sustainable, and technologically driven. With the UAE unveiling its renewed National Food Security Strategy and spotlighting plant-based and cultivated proteins, the event marked a turning point for advocates of sustainable and climate-resilient food systems.
A Regional Shift Toward Sustainable Innovation
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s renewed National Food Security Strategy 2051 places plant-based and cultivated proteins at the center of its resilience agenda. Sheikh Dr. Majid Sultan Al Qassimi emphasized that “true resilience can only be achieved through collaboration between government, industry, and the community” — a sentiment that reflects the region’s growing commitment to food system transformation.
Science Meets Sustainability: The Rise of Plant-Based Protein
From Switch Foods’ locally crafted plant-based meats to Believer Meats’ cultivated cell-based innovations, the Protein Alternatives (PALT) Initiative showcased how technology can reduce reliance on traditional livestock farming while lowering environmental impact. These solutions aren’t just futuristic — they’re regionally relevant and culturally adaptable.
Food Security as National Security
Josef Schmidhuber of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization framed food security as a pillar of national stability, drawing parallels with Singapore and the Netherlands. For arid nations like Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, this reframing opens doors to water-efficient, climate-resilient food systems — where plant-based innovation plays a central role.
Consumer Behavior and Market Readiness
Dr. Arif Kalantar stressed that health, behavior, and market infrastructure are key to mainstreaming plant-based and cultivated proteins. For advocates, this means investing in education, visibility, and culturally attuned messaging — especially in Arabic, where sustainability, health, and ethical values increasingly shape consumer choices.