Labworx

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has announced the launch of a special digital platform aimed at promoting food security within the emirate. The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Data Platform collects information from 16 strategic partners from both the private and public sectors to provide an up-to-date overview on all aspects of the industry.

An open-access feature, the platform is available to anyone who wishes to use it. As such, it can serve a wealth of different functions for different people, from allowing policymakers to ensure everyone in Abu Dhabi has access to healthy food to facilitating access to investment opportunities to preparing for adverse climate or market conditions.

A wealth of data

The platform will serve as an advanced electronic gateway that gives transparent insight into the performance of the agricultural industry at home and further afield. By collaborating with over a dozen specialist partners, the app is capable of displaying the latest information across more than 335 indicators.

As such, users will be able to see at a glance targeted data and access specialised reports on any number of different topics related to the subject. This includes things such as predicted crop yields and livestock levels, as well as their projected consumption rates among the local populace, imminent weather forecasts and outbreaks of any animal or vegetal diseases in the area.

What’s more, there is an abundance of useful standing information about best practices on maintaining plant and animal health among farmers. Having access to advice about how to deal with pest control, animal and zoonotic diseases and vaccination programmes can be an invaluable tool for those involved in the community.

Alerting and informing

The practical applications of the platform are virtually limitless. Primarily, it has been devised to allow authorities to shape policies and take pre-emptive action to ensure that food supply levels remain reliable in the emirate. This is achieved by monitoring the available data and making use of the more than 200 dashboards which display the information in clear and accessible terms.

However, it’s equally effective as an early warning system for potential threats to the stability of the sector. For example, alerts can be triggered when production levels drop, or when inclement weather conditions or reported disease outbreaks threaten crop yields in the future. Biosecurity threats can also be effectively monitored and managed through the data.

Meanwhile, it’s a great aid to the economic side of agriculture, too. For example, price fluctuations in the national and global market can be tracked, facilitating the identification of better money management strategies. The overview of global trends is also a great way of identifying possible investment opportunities and indeed uniting investors with entrepreneurs, start-ups and other interested parties.

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