he second edition of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Week (ADAFSW), which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), concluded today.
ADAFSW, which was held from 20-22 November at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), witnessed a remarkable presence at both the regional and international levels, with the participation of more than 600 exhibiting companies from 40 countries around the world, in addition to more than 10,000 visitors from agriculture and food production professionals from around 90 countries worldwide.
ADAFSA is the largest event dedicated to sustainable agriculture and food security in the MENA region.
Day three also marked the end of the activities of the UAE Microbiome Conference, which is organised by the Khalifa Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic
Engineering (KCBGE) of the UAE University, in the presence of Dr. Mariam Hareb Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director-General for Operational Affairs at ADAFSA; Dr. Khaled Amiri, KCBGE Director; Dr. Sunil Mundra, Coordinator of the Conference Organising Committee, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the UAE University, in addition to a wide range of scientists, experts, and specialists in the field of microbiome and its applications at the human, animal, and plant levels, as well as a number of faculty members, representatives of participating entities, and students of microbiology.
“VIV MEA”, organised by the Dutch company VNU Exhibitions, attracted the attention of many exhibitors who presented the latest global technologies in the field of poultry, table eggs, fish, and dairy products. The exhibition was attended by more than 500 companies from around the world, in addition to suppliers covering all stages of the food supply chain in the field of animal protein, with a clear focus on innovation, adva
nced technology, and scientific research for livestock production systems in controlled environments.
The exhibition hosted one of the most important specialised workshops to explore the potential of using artificial intelligence technologies aimed at developing and improving the efficiency and quality of animal production by tracking and combating the spread of diseases in poultry farms, addressing the challenges of marketing, financing, management, and sales through analysing market trends, consumer behaviour, in addition to strengthening the supply chain and reducing waste, to ensure the continuity of improving the performance of the livestock sector. The workshop reviewed several papers, including a paper on the importance of using new digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of food products of animal origin.
Another scientific paper addressed the use of new digital technologies and artificial intelligence to improve the composition of animal feed, aiming to provide healt
hy and sustainable nutritional options for humans. This approach seeks to enhance our understanding of how technology integrates into the food value chain, contributing to the delivery of high-quality products that meet human nutritional needs in a healthy and sustainable manner.
The workshop also highlighted diverse experiences and experiments that have greatly benefited from AI in areas related to marketing, financing, management, and sales of poultry and its products. It discussed the current level of the industry and the future prospects for the use of modern technology to develop animal protein production, poultry farming, and egg production.
As for Horti Agri Next, intended for horticulture and agriculture professionals and plant production sector, it attracted many leading companies in the field in addition to a number of experts, scientists, researchers, and innovators from all over the world. The focus of this year’s edition was on technologies for the production of vegetables and fruits from farm
to fork, precision agriculture, as well as innovations and technologies for smart food production, covering topics such as plant-based protein production, improved nutritional value and health, organic food concepts, increase yields programmes, control pests solutions, water saving systems, energy use management.
ADAFSA has ensured that Horti Agri Next is a meeting point for suppliers of horticulture and agriculture products from around the world with potential buyers from the Middle East and Africa.
In a related context, the pavilion dedicated to promoting the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award attracted a remarkable presence throughout the week, where the Supreme Organising Committee of the Award organised 10 workshops to introduce the objectives of the Award, the festivals and competitions associated with it in its second session, in addition to registration methods and evaluation criteria.
Source: Emirates News Agency