King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, is at the cutting-edge of many such initiatives. The Saudi Arabian government, which subsidised wheat production until 2008 and in which the country was self-sufficient until this point, has since invested in other forms of agriculture. Greenhouses for the region have been designed to stay cool, while salt water is either desalinated or used to grow halophytes.

As many countries are unable to afford the initiatives being undertaken in Saudi Arabia, questions were raised regarding the best steps to close yield gaps in poorer countries. Aligning the objectives of large food companies and smallholder farmers was one response, and increasing collaboration between the public and private sectors was another.