Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) announced signing an agreement with investment accelerator Hub71 to promote the development and adoption of ground-breaking technologies in agriculture, food safety, food security and biosecurity.
The partnership will bring together stakeholders operating in the agritech industry to work in a collaborative environment to empower and support startups in the field of agricultural technology to innovate in the sector.
Under the agreement, ADAFSA and Hub71 will work to address the challenges faced by the agritech sector by connecting businesses with startups offering technology-based solutions.
Startups will also have the opportunity to engage with experts through a mentorship programme driven by sector experts.
The two entities will also collaborate to build a strong network of AgriTech stakeholders across business, academia, and government to promote partnerships and support startup innovations.
The agreement is seen as a strategic step to support innovation along the value chain from producer to consumer and to promote sustainable food security.
The agreement was signed by Dr Mariam Harib AlSuwaidi, Deputy Director-General of the operational affairs at ADAFSA, and Ahmad Ali Alwan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hub71.
Hub71 will source and select leading agritech startups from around the world and provide them with access to the ecosystem’s company building programme, as well as access to ADAFSA’s state of the art research laboratories and ADAFSA funded infrastructure across Abu Dhabi, facilitating their contribution to advancing biosecurity systems and improving food quality and safety.
Saeed Al Bahri Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, said the authority was delighted to be working with Hub71 to attract international agritech companies to operate out of Abu Dhabi and promote innovative agricultural solutions to support food security.
“It will also help our ambition to achieve first place in the Food Security Index by 2051,” he said.
He noted that Hub71 is one of the key initiatives of ‘Ghadan 21’, Abu Dhabi’s accelerator programme that was established to stimulate the emirate’s development as a diverse centre of innovation.
“The partnership will consolidate the Emirate’s position as a global destination for agricultural technologies in desert environments and innovations to address the challenges of soil, water, and climate change. Moreover, international businesses and innovative thinkers also have the chance to profit from the programs and incentives provided by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” Al Ameri said.
The UAE leads the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) for 2022, ranking 23rd in the GFSI overall rank, up 12 places from 2021.
The country’s national food security strategy aims to develop a comprehensive national system to enable sustainable food production and achieve the leading position in the global food security index by 2051.
Follow us on
