The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) announced the launch of the first edition of the “Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week”, from 21st to 25th November at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), WAM reports.
The event will be held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority.
The Week will feature various events related to sustainable agriculture, food production and food security issues, including the launch of the Abu Dhabi Food Safety and Security Conference, in partnership with the World Food Security Forum, and the Global Sustainable Agriculture Awards Ceremony. It will honour the innovators and creative solutions that drive innovation in the sectors of agriculture and food security, and it will push them towards growth and prosperity through a combination of related seminars, lectures and workshops.
The week will also host – for the first time – a Symposium of the International Federation of Beekeepers “Apimondia”, founded in 1897 in Rome. The Symposium will complement “Api-Arab Expo”, which aims at developing the honeybee-breeding sector and enhance the productivity of honeybees in the region.
Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, said, “The launch of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week represents the critical importance of food production, sustainable agriculture and food security and is consistent with the insightful vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. His Highness is keen to direct the provision of all necessary capabilities to secure food in a high-quality manner that guarantees the highest safety standards.
“The week’s activities are in line with the ADAFSA strategy that aims to ensure food safety and an ecological sustainable development in the agricultural sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which Sheikh Mansour is keen to follow up on its most minute details, and directing to adopt the latest technology in the field of agriculture and food production, in addition to build a network of relationships with all those concerned in the sustainable food system.”
The Week is the largest event for sustainable agriculture and food security in the Middle East, North Africa and the Asia Pacific region. In addition to the variety of specialised events, such as conferences, exhibitions, seminars and workshops, the programme also includes two major exhibitions with a successful track record in Abu Dhabi, the Global Forum for Agricultural Innovations (GFIA), which has attracted more than 50,000 participants, since its launch in 2014, during which more than 1,500 innovations in sustainable agriculture were exhibited, and VIV MEA, an exhibition which covers animal health and production, which focuses on developing livestock and producing dairy, poultry and eggs.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week also attaches great importance to the logistics of the agribusiness sector, as it hosts Cold Chain Expo, an exhibition and conference that sheds light on how goods are taken to market and distributed globally with the least amount of waste and losses.
The events address important topics such as vertical farming, hydroponics, indoor agriculture, aquaculture, and agriculture in controlled environments, as the pioneers of these fields in the world showcase the latest innovations and solutions needed for sustainable food production.
The Week will host various emerging companies, innovators, and individuals who are looking to establish new business partnerships and take advantage of the financing opportunities provided through the Ag-Tech fund. The fund, which amounts to one billion dirhams, was launched by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, to encourage food technology companies to establish and localize their operations in Abu Dhabi.
Mohanad Terkawi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Exhibition, commented, “As a long-term partner of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, GFIA is proud to be part of this visionary programme that will place Abu Dhabi and the UAE at the heart of the global Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Agenda. Now, more than ever, is a critical time for these sectors, and we look forward to providing a Live Event format as well as a Digital Platform that will ensure we offer a truly global exchange of knowledge at this critical stage in global development.”
More than 400 exhibitors and sponsoring companies will participate in the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week, while the joint programs present more than 150 international speakers, bringing with them a major global alliance of strategic partnerships that will lead to the success of the initiative.
The week is supported by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and other global entities, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the University of Arizona, the University of California at Davis, the Open Global Data Initiative for Agriculture and Nutrition, Agritecture Consulting, Global GAP, The Netherlands University of Wageningen, and the Netherlands Investment Program.
