International Center for Biosaline Agriculture

The Halophytic Kitchen Lab seeks to encourage both young people and adults to learn more about the health and other benefits of consuming foods based on nutritious halophytic crops which are cultivated with saline water in desert conditions.

ICBA kicks off cooking program to promote halophytic crops

Published in Plant Science, a journal, the study assessed two ecotypes of Salicornia europaea that grow naturally in the coastal areas of the emirates of Ras al-Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain in the UAE.

New study finds brackish water best for Salicornia cultivation

The students also visited the Emirates Soil Museum located at ICBA and made a virtual tour of the Gracia Farm. What is more, they got to plant native trees at ICBA as a way to make their contribution to environmental protection.

ICBA hosts agripreneurship winter camp for schoolchildren in UAE

The academy will draw on its resources and experience as the educational arm of Dubai SME - the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector - to develop various programs with the support of ICBA to improve the knowledge and skills of university students, women and the youth in general in different disciplines related to agriculture and enable them to be successful entrepreneurs in this sector.

ICBA partners with Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy to offer new capacity development opportunities

In particular the center continued providing venues for learning and collaboration through programs like the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) and the ICBA Youth Engagement Society (ICBA YES) to foster the skill and creativity of women and youth to generate novel solutions for sustainable development and food security.

Harnessing the power of online learning

Research Themes

Management of natural resources in marginal environments

increase agricultural productivity and thus improve food, nutrition and water security, and create jobs and livelihoods for communities living in these environments

Climate change modeling and adaptation

enhance livelihoods, adaptive capacities and incomes of agricultural communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change

Crop improvement and sustainable production

increase adaptive capacities, livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers and rural communities

Integrated agri-aquaculture systems

help reduce environmental footprint, increase incomes of farming communities and improve their adaptive capacities to climate change

Research Publications

2021

Development of Quinoa Value Chain to Improve Food and Nutritional Security in Rural Communities in Rehamna, Morocco: Lessons Learned and Perspectives

2021

Validation and Comparison of Physical Models for Soil Salinity Mapping over an Arid Landscape Using Spectral Reflectance Measurements and Landsat-OLI Data

2021

Effect of irrigation salinity and ecotype on the growth, physiological indicators and seed yield and quality of Salicornia europaea

Events

Online training course on quinoa and Salicornia production

3 March 2021

Current Projects

November 2019 - October 2024

Creation of agricultural startups for Tunisian youth

November 2019 - October 2024

Introduction of value chains for stress-resilient crops to support the development of sustainable rural communities in Kasserine, Tunisia

March 2019 - February 2023

Improving agricultural resilience to salinity and climate change through development and promotion of pro-poor technologies and management strategies (RESADE)

Corporate Publications

ICBA at 20: A Look at History

ICBA at 20: Stories of Success

One-page infographic about ICBA

ICBA Strategy: Refresh 2019-2023

Multimedia

Quinoa, a future-proof crop for food security (Animation)

Call for testing and demonstration of agricultural inputs and technologies suitable for use in marginal environments at ICBA research station