22 May is designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Biological Diversity. This day serves to remind us of the importance of biodiversity for life on earth.

On Zayed Humanitarian Day, which is observed every year on the 19th day of the month of Ramadan, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) launched a new community initiative in line with the vision of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, to work together with local partners and authorities to boost food security, raise awareness among local communities about agriculture and promote healthy eating habits, especially in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) has launched a virtual alumnae network for the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) fellowship program.

Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world. By one estimate, the sector employs more than 28 percent of the global population. This number is much higher in regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where rural communities depend on farming for their food and income.

The Euphrates and Tigris River Basin is a region that is highly vulnerable to climate change. The riparian countries are interdependent and rely on water from the river system to maintain ecosystem services, agriculture and energy production, municipal and industrial water supply. The system is also affected by salinity, land degradation and deterioration of marshlands and ecosystems.

The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) signed recently a new agreement aimed at enhancing sustainable environmental development and protection in the UAE.

Soil salinity and poor irrigation are leading to food insecurity and poverty in rural parts of Ethiopia and South Sudan as smallholder farmers are facing reduced yields and incomes, a recently published study shows.

To our friends, colleagues, partners and supporters,

Covid-19 has become a black swan of our age. It has affected nearly every sector and every person around the world. How we work and live has drastically changed.

Five quinoa genotypes from the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) have been recently registered and certified as varieties by Morocco’s National Food Safety Office (L'Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires) and approved for commercial cultivation.

In celebration of International Women's Day the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) hosted today a graduation ceremony for the first cohort of fellows of the Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) program.