ICBA Showcases Milestone in Quinoa Harvest as Part of UAE Value Chain Initiative in partnership with SILAL

As part of its mission to advance sustainable agriculture in arid and saline environments, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), in collaboration with Silal, organized a field visit to a quinoa demonstration site in Al Ain. The visit marked a key milestone in the Quinoa Value Chain Development Project—an ambitious initiative designed to position quinoa as a climate-resilient crop that contributes to the UAE’s national food security agenda.

A delegation of ICBA management and scientists, led by Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA, visited the 6-hectare site to review progress and observe both manual and mechanical quinoa harvesting operations. The field demonstration highlighted ICBA’s commitment to the "4Ps" approach—Public-Private-People Partnership. This model builds upon the traditional Public-Private Partnership (PPP) by incorporating the "People" component, which includes local communities, civil society, and end-users, to foster more inclusive and impactful collaboration.

The visit showcased the tangible progress of the project and the strong performance of the selected resilient quinoa lines developed through ICBA’s extensive research program. These lines are now being scaled up in partnership with Silal, with funding support from the Research and Development Fund of ADQ.

The visit also highlighted the successful performance of select quinoa lines developed through ICBA’s long-standing research program. These resilient lines are now being scaled up in collaboration with Silal, with funding from the Research and Development Fund of ADQ, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the quinoa value chain in the UAE.

This represents a pivotal phase in ICBA’s long-term quinoa research journey, which began in 2006 and spans multiple agroecological zones across the UAE. Over the years, ICBA has evaluated 121 quinoa genotypes in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) in Peru, and the National Agrarian University – La Molina (UNALM).

These efforts led to the identification of five high-potential genotypes that demonstrated outstanding performance under harsh conditions. Field trials across five locations in the Northern Emirates and the Al Dhafra region yielded exceptional results. The selected genotypes recorded an average protein content of 14.3%, dietary fiber of 18.1%, and fat content of 4.1%, along with elevated levels of essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron—positioning quinoa as a high-value nutritional crop compared to conventional cereals.

The varieties currently under evaluation have shown strong adaptability to saline and arid conditions and were officially registered by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment following a series of successful national trials.

The field visit also included an overview visit to the Silal innovation Oasis, its further reaffirming ICBA’s commitment to translating scientific research into real-world agricultural solutions. The event reflects ICBA’s leadership in building resilient, science-driven food systems tailored to the environmental realities of the UAE and other dryland regions.