• Pure Harvest, known across the region for its fresh tomatoes, leafy greens and strawberries, is the first controlled-environment-agriculture (CEA) business to win the Gulf region’s Product of the Year award. 

Abu Dhabi: Pure Harvest Smart Farms (Pure Harvest), a world-leading, sustainable technology-enabled agribusiness, is proud to announce receipt of the Gulf region’s ‘Product of the Year Award 2023’. The award is granted by the regional arm of the world’s most respected and comprehensive consumer research survey, conducted by researcher partner Nielsen IQ.

Pure Harvest's award of ‘Product of the Year’ accreditation for the entire product range is unprecedented, recognizing excellence in twenty-six (26) varieties of tomatoes, four (4) varieties of strawberries and over eight (8) varieties of leafy greens, with several new products soon to hit the market from its newest smart farms, including capsicums, melons, blackberries and raspberries.  Pure Harvest is the first-ever Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) company to receive the Gulf region’s award, and the only fruit and vegetable brand awarded the title in 2023. 

Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “As the UAE continues to prioritize food security as a strategic goal, we recognize the vital role of innovative technologies and solutions to address the challenges posed by water scarcity and lack of arable land. We are committed to providing a business-friendly environment that facilitates the operations of food and agtech companies' operations in the UAE to enhance local production and reduce import dependency. Our longstanding partnership with Pure Harvest Smart Farms is a testament to this commitment, and we applaud them for their achievement in winning the Gulf region's 'Product of the Year Award 2023'. Awards like this drive awareness that the UAE has some of the highest-quality products in the world”.

“We proudly support innovative and sustainable agtech businesses like Pure Harvest, which has proven to be an early innovator in our fast-emerging agtech ecosystem, producing a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and showing what's possible in farming here in the UAE. As a partner to enhance the UAE's food security, we encourage Pure Harvest to continue to grow in their operations and tech-based infrastructure to deliver some of the best fresh produce in the region and the world,” Minister Almheiri added.

Sky Kurtz, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pure Harvest, commented: “We are truly honored to be awarded this globally recognized award from the Product of the Year organization. As the first CEA business from the Middle East to receive this award, we also appreciate the huge milestone this represents for our industry’s collective efforts to champion sustainable production and reduced import dependency for the Gulf.”

Saqib Zia, Chief Commercial Officer, shared: “Consumer satisfaction is an unshakeable foundation of our business, and something we take great pride to maintain as we expand our product range of always-available, sustainably-grown fresh produce that tastes like it should. Our team has worked tirelessly to perfect our line of products, and it is a pleasure to receive global recognition for the work that has been done. We will continue to define the standards of distinguished quality and extraordinary taste for these products in the minds of our consumers.”

Dory Kfoury, Chief Executive Officer at Product of the Year, contributed: “This year, we are proud to have innovations that follow the growing trend for smart, sustainable products. Companies are investing and developing specialized products to meet the rising tide of consumer preferences for products that are sustainable, fresh, and environmentally friendly.”

Almost 4,000 consumers across the region participated in this Nielsen IQ panel and voted based on perceived innovation, attractiveness and purchase intention. As a symbol of its achievement and to signal to consumers the uniqueness of its products, Pure Harvest will be permitted to utilize the Product of the Year accredited stamp to support marketing its products for the next twelve (12) months. Consumers can look forward to seeing Pure Harvest’s range of products in leading retailers, hotels and restaurants across the UAE and KSA.

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About Pure Harvest Smart Farms

Pure Harvest Smart Farms is a mission-driven, technology-enabled agribusiness headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, focused on year-round, sustainable production of premium-quality fresh fruits and vegetables. As innovators of the Middle East’s first commercial-scale, semi-automated high-tech hybrid growing system, Pure Harvest leverages innovative growing technologies and horticultural best practices to enable local-for-local production of affordable, sustainably grown, clean, fresh produce anywhere. Pure Harvest is pioneering controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) in the MEASA region, harnessing technology to tackle some of the region’s biggest challenges, including food security, water conservation, economic diversification, and sustainability needs. 

For more information, please visit www.pureharvestfarms.com 

About Product of the Year

Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Established over 30 years ago and currently operating in 40+ countries, its primary objective is to guide consumers to the best products in the market and reward brands for quality and innovation. For more information on Product of the Year, please visit https://www.poyworldwide.com/.