His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, announced and presented awards to the three winners of the school gardening competition, rolled out by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) between October 2018 and April 2019.
The People of Determination Care and Rehabilitation Center in Ajman came first, while Umm Al Arab School in Abu Dhabi took second place, and the Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai finished third.
Sponsored by Al Anood Livestock, the competition drew the participation of 44 schools from across the UAE. The scheme aligned with the Cabinet Resolution No. 31 of 2018 on community plantation and agriculture, issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Congratulating the winners, His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi said: “We are encouraged by the eagerness, enthusiasm, and passion of the competition participants, and the innovative ideas and solutions they presented.”
He added: “The competition aimed to strengthen the connection of Emiratis with their environment and their agricultural heritage, as envisioned by the founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and reinforced by our wise leadership today.”
He noted that through providing an open learning environment and practical experience, the objective of the competition was to nurture a love for the earth and the environment in Emirati youngsters early on and pique their interest in growing fruits and vegetables. It also introduced children to diverse cultivation practices, such as hydroponics, organic farming, and modern irrigation, as well as the crops that are best suited to the UAE’s arid hot weather.
Criteria to determine the winners included utilizing water-saving irrigation methods and organic farming techniques, ratio of cultivated land to the school’s total area, quantity and quality of crops, and absence of pests. Participating schools were also assessed on their efforts to drive innovation and on presentations of their educational plans for enhancing students’ knowledge of agricultural practices. The three top-scoring schools received prizes in kind.
Details of the competition can be found on the MOCCAE website. The page contains an easy-to-understand instruction manual on crop cultivation as well as the best time for planting and harvesting each crop.
Community farming optimizes unused shared residential spaces and transforms rooftops and terraces into prime agricultural spaces. Benefits include increasing food security, diversity and self-sufficiency, raising environmental awareness, advancing the concept of sustainable cities, and urban greening.