A Call from Abu Dhabi: Global Alignment for Alternative Proteins

In her op-ed for The National, Fatima Al Dhaheri, head of the AgriFood Growth and Abundance cluster at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, confronts a critical impasse in the evolution of food systems. Alternative proteins—plant-based, cultivated, and precision-fermented—offer sustainable solutions to a world choked by climate breakdown and agricultural instability. Yet, instead of accelerating their integration, global regulators have created an obstacle course of inconsistent approvals, high compliance costs, and fragmented market access.