Key focus sectors will include AI & Nutrition; IoT, cloud solutions, UAV, robotics and drones, automation, adaptive irrigation, grow lighting, data management, supply chain management, climate-smart agriculture, food loss and waste, controlled environment, ICT in agriculture, mechanisation, organic agriculture, precision agriculture, biotechnology, soil plant health, saltwater agriculture, renewable energy and water management.
The multi-faceted event will engage the end-to-end food and agriculture ecosystem of producers, tech providers, suppliers and consumers, through an exhibition, partner workshops - including technical training organised by the ICBA (International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture) on plant biotechnology, GIS technologies and modeling and biosaline agri-tech - investor platforms, startup programmes, a food security leadership exchange symposium, and community engagement. The Summit will also host the UAE Food Technology Challenge and the region’s first dedicated Agri-Tech food contest for startups, the MENA Agri-Food Tech Challenge, organised in partnership with Thought for Food.
With anticipated participation from a raft of organisations and start-ups from over 50 countries, the first-of-its-kind event has already garnered C-suite support from industry leaders such as Dr. Juan Carlos Motamayor, Executive Director, Food Sector, NEOM, Ismael Roig, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, ADM and Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President, Head of Operations, Nestle, as well as major entities such as Siemens and Al Dahra and leading authorities across New Zealand, The Netherlands, France, Greece, Singapore, Poland, Canada, Israel and Argentina. The event comes as the UN’s FAO predicts worldwide food production needs to increase by 60% by 2050 to cope with a population that will top nine billion. Some of the start-ups taking part include Tevel Tech, a food-tech company aiming to reduce labor costs and increase efficiency during harvest by using FAR (Flying Autonomous Robots); and MeaTech 3D, a company dedicated to the creation of cultured meat using 3D printing.
“Food insecurity remains a critical issue which has been increasing over the past six years; it now affects one quarter of the world’s population,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President, Events Management, DWTC. “In response, a paradigm shift is under way in global food production and the world is turning to the agritech sector for innovative solutions. Just recently, the UAE, Jordan and the Netherlands issued a joint call to work together on food, water and energy security by strengthening critical resources. A recent 2022 trends forecast by the International Food Information Council said consumers in urban areas will turn to vertical agriculture in their efforts to promote sustainability, nutrition and food security. The trend is growing at hyper-speed and the inaugural Food For Future Summit and Global Agtech Innovation Expo will highlight the urgency of the challenge and explore the harvest of business opportunities that will emerge as the global agritech sector grows in value.”
Global Centrepoint for Agriculture and Food Supply Industry
The Food For Future Summit & Expo and Global Agtech Innovation Expo will bring the world’s agriculture and food supply industries to the heart of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where the vertical farming sector alone has grown to a market value of US$1.2bn. MENA countries are ramping up agritech initiatives, with Saudi Arabia investing US$665 million in local agriculture and farming; United States and UAE are partnering on Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate, an initiative to increase investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation from 2021-2025; Abu Dhabi is launching a US$270 million accelerator program to position the emirate as a global centre for agricultural desert innovation; Egypt is investing US$2.1 billion in food security projects; and Kuwait’s Wafra Inc. is investing US$100 million in the Pure Harvest agritech startup.
"There have never been more opportunities to improve the world through food and agriculture. The Food For Future Summit & Expo and Global Agtech Innovation Expo will highlight the latest in global food and agriculture technology across the value chain, from seed to sale. The exhibition will be accentuated with live discussions by international corporate innovators, farmers, and policymakers. Now is the time to share ideas and make plans for our collective food-secure future,” said Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder & CEO of Agritecture, and an internationally recognised sustainability strategist and agritech consultant renowned for his focus on urban agriculture, water issues, and emerging technologies.
The UAE has adopted a global food security leadership role, establishing the Emirates Food Security Council (EFSCC) to strengthen national authorities’ efforts to enhance food security and meet National Food Security Strategy goals, which include topping the Global Food Security Index by 2051.
Dubai is also advancing a new Food Tech Valley to serve as a hub for tech-based food and agricultural products, and an incubator for researchers, entrepreneurs, startups, and industry experts involved in developing solutions with the potential to shape the future of the food industry. The integrated modern city will feature over 300 varieties of crops produced using modern farming and agri techniques. Dubai has also established a food export gateway giving access to a footprint of 1.5 billion people in African markets.