With its water-scarce, desert climate, the United Arab Emirates imports 80% of its food.
Greenhouse produce producer Pure Harvest is looking to launch its first growing facility for locally-grown produce early next year. A U.A.E. government innovation fund backed Pure Harvest’s seed round, along with several angel investors and technology partners, AgFunder News reports.
David Scott, a former U.S. National Security Council director for North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, is a Pure Harvest investor. “Ultimately, I see this kind of sustainable domestic agriculture as a critical component of any successful post-oil diversification strategy,” he says.
Earlier this year, U.S.-based indoor farming venture AeroFarms raised $34 million with backing from Dubai to support its expansion to the Middle East.
