"Minister of Climate Change" Launch an initiative "Young farmer’s seal" To empower agricultural entrepreneurs

Al Ain, April 25 / WAM / Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahhak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, officially launched the “Young Farmer Seal” initiative, in a step aimed at strengthening the role of youth in redrawing the features of the national food security system with young hands and minds, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs.

This came during the activities of the third day, dedicated to “Family and Women Farmers”, on the sidelines of the second session of the “UAE Agricultural Conference and Exhibition 2026” held in the city of Al Ain.

Through this initiative, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment confirms its firm commitment to empowering young people to develop their agricultural projects and move them from promising productive activities to pioneering projects that lead innovation in the agricultural sector.

During her opening speech, Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahhak praised the exceptional and tireless efforts made by the Emirates Youth Council for Agriculture in formulating and developing this pioneering initiative, stressing that the “Young Farmer Seal” represents a deep charter of trust linking the country to the innovative young generation.

She said that this seal is a step that guarantees the young farmer a bridge of reliability with the consumer, and embodies the leadership’s ambitions to empower young national cadres to be protectors of food security and leaders of its future.

Her Excellency added that this initiative will play a decisive role in enhancing the competitiveness of the Emirati product and facilitating its direct access to major sales outlets and cooperative societies, which opens broad economic horizons for national farmers.

She stressed that the ultimate goal of the efforts of the Emirates Youth Council for Agriculture is to transform these young people from productive farmers into agricultural entrepreneurs who lead major economic success stories capable of competing in global markets, ensuring the sustainability of the agricultural sector and consolidating the country’s position as a global model in food innovation.

For his part, His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, praised the efforts of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in highlighting the qualitative developments witnessed by the various agricultural sectors in the country, and the integrated presence of the exhibition reflected by governmental and academic agencies, farms, producers, and the animal production sector, in line with the aspirations of the wise leadership in strengthening the national food security system and consolidating the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

He stressed that providing room for competition and creativity in various fields of agricultural work represents an important pillar for supporting innovation and stimulating national competencies, noting that the Youth Council is concerned with keeping pace with this trend and enhancing the presence of young people in vital sectors, in line with the state’s vision of empowering them to be active partners in developing the agricultural and food security system.

His Excellency said that supporting and empowering young people and providing them with the necessary capabilities contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of the local product, and supports the country’s efforts to achieve higher levels of self-sufficiency.

His Excellency said: “I am proud that our youth enjoy the support of qualitative initiatives and capabilities that contribute to enhancing their role in this vital sector.

The “Young Farmer Seal” initiative is a pioneering national project developed by the Emirates Youth Council for Agriculture, with the aim of highlighting the ambitions and projects of young national cadres in the agricultural sector, livestock, and honeybees.

The initiative seeks to grant a “certified seal” certificate to projects that are produced with Emirati hands according to the highest sustainable practices, which contributes to building a strong national agricultural identity, enhancing consumer confidence in the local product, and transforming youth projects from mere productive activities into entrepreneurial projects capable of competition and growth.

The initiative’s objectives revolve around four basic pillars: first, highlighting successful youth models in the agricultural sector and presenting them as inspiring stories locally and internationally, second, stimulating the adoption of modern technologies and sustainable agricultural practices that conserve resources, third, raising confidence in the local product in the hands of young people, and finally, providing the necessary technical support to enable young people to manage their projects with professionalism that guarantees them sustainability.

The initiative will open its doors to UAE citizens from the youth category “under 35 years of age”, and includes owners of small and medium farms, livestock breeders, and beekeepers, in addition to entrepreneurs in the fields of food industries.

Application requirements include that the project must be entirely owned and managed by young people, and linked to actual agricultural production or food processing, with the need to adhere to all applicable local regulations and legislation, and pass the technical evaluation conducted by experts to ensure the quality and sustainability of the product.

The initiative adopted a gradual system that accompanies the young farmer’s journey, as the seal was divided into three categories that reflect the level of experience and excellence.

Category “A” – the “green seal” growth stage, which targets beginners with “zero to two years’ experience”, with a focus on having a clear operational plan that ensures the sustainability of production and obtaining the necessary licenses. “B” category – the fruiting stage “orange seal” is reserved for those with moderate experience “from 3 to 4 years”, who have proven the ability to apply good agricultural practices in a practical and continuous manner, and “C” – the empowerment and sustainability stage “red seal”, which is the highest category reserved for those with more than 5 years of experience, and proof is required. Elements of innovation in technical practices, and having a professional marketing and distribution plan that ensures the product reaches the widest segment of consumers.

The launch of the “Young Farmer Seal” initiative confirms that the UAE is moving with confident and rapid steps towards building an integrated food security system, which does not depend only on attracting the latest global technologies, but is based at its heart on preparing and creating a young and empowered Emirati generation, capable of leading agricultural innovation, and transforming climate and environmental challenges into investment opportunities and national success stories that inspire the world.

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