DUBAI: The Food Innovation Hub UAE’s meeting discussed the development of effective solutions to food sustainability and overcoming food and farming challenges with the help of modern technology and innovations.
Held on the sidelines of the Food Innovation Conference 2024, organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) under the theme ‘Reimagining Future Food Systems’, the meeting addressed ways to make the UAE a foremost test bed for innovative farming solutions in arid climate futures, and a global hub for agriculture technology that addresses challenges specific to the climate, including soil type, scarcity of water and climate change.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; Saeed Al Eter, Assistant Secretary-General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives; Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Under-Secretary, Ministry Climate Change and the Environment; Eng. Alya
AlHarmoodi, Assistant Under-Secretary of Sustainable Communities Sector, Ministry Climate Change and the Environment; Dr. Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and Tania Strauss, Head of Food and Water at WEF.
In attendance were also Arnoud van den Berg, CEO of Al Dahra Group; Shiraz Abdul Razak Allana, Director of the Supervisory Board at IFFCO Group; Bernardo Perloiro, COO GCC at Majid Al Futtaim Retail; Peter Nichols; COO at ADNH Compass Middle East; Ibrahim Al Zu’bi, Group Chief Sustainability and ESG Officer at ADNOC and Shamal Mohammed, Agri-Tech Director, Silal.
The meeting discussed developing a shared vision and ambition that drives realising the goals of the Food Innovation Hub UAE, and highlighted several innovative solutions that can contribute to the UAE’s food security efforts. Among topics discussed was the importance of improving the food consumption profile by driving sustainable alternatives into diets in support of health and nutrition outco
mes.
Attendants of the meeting addressed boosting early-stage innovation with Uplink; an open innovation platform launched by the World Economic Forum. The collaboration aims to support investing in innovative ideas and solutions for food security and empower a pipeline of innovators for scaling their solutions in the UAE and other global hubs.
Meeting participants shared visions and ideas on several key topics: developing solutions to enhance food production mechanisms, increasing investments in innovative food and farming systems, and facilitating partnerships and collaboration between innovators and investors. They also emphasised the importance of accelerating research to support communities’ readiness for future shifts through effective funding targeting food sustainability.
Following the meeting, attendants toured the Boulevard Showcase hosted at the Emirates Towers, where they viewed the latest services, products and technologies on show by exhibitors, all aiming to accelerate food innovation and de
velop solutions to challenges hindering the sustainability of global food supply in the future.
The Food Innovation Hub UAE was launched as a collaboration between MBRGI and the World Economic Forum at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in 2023. It is part of MBRGI’s efforts to enhance the sustainability of the global food sector, create comprehensive, inclusive solutions to the risks of hunger and drive future transformations that help create systems of food innovation. The Food Innovation Hub UAE was launched in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment, Majid Al Futtaim Retail, IFFCO Group, Al Dahra Group and Abu Dhabi National Hotels Compass.
The Food Innovation Conference 2024 brings together over 150 international experts, academics, private sector businesses and farmers. It features several discussion panels highlighting the role of technology in supporting resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems, while facilitating global cooperation and addressing the lat
est trends in food system sustainability.
Source: Emirates News Agency