A senior UAE government official has called for technology adoption to improve food production in the country.
“The UAE is the world’s second-largest re-export market for agriculture and processed food in the world after the US and plays a vital role in maintaining food and agricultural supply in the region.
“There is a need for the UAE to improve local food production and technology adoption in the sector,” Abdulla Al Saleh, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Economy, said at the Future Food Forum 2022 in Dubai on Wednesday.
The third edition of the two-day forum, organised by the UAE Food & Beverage Manufacturers Business Group, in partnership with Dubai Chamber and Food Tech Valley, is to discuss issues related to sustainability, food security, retail supply chain management, digital technologies and the future of farming.
Addressing the forum, Al Saleh said one of the main objectives of the country adopting the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) model was to achieve food security goals.
The UAE has so far concluded CEPAs with India, Indonesia and Israel and is in talks with several other strategic partners, he said.
Over 600 participants, including ministers, senior government officials, business leaders, academics and representatives from global brands and local startups are attending the forum.
Sector experts from Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, the UK, US, France, Switzerland, and Denmark are also part of the forum, which is to discuss future opportunities and challenges facing the food sector.
Saleh Lootah, chairman of the UAE F&B Manufacturers Group, said the industry has learnt a great deal from the challenges of the pandemic and climate change that have disrupted the food chain in recent years.
“Today we know that the key to the progress of the f&b sector lies in collaboration between the f&b sector, regulators and academia.
“With the Future Food Forum, we aim to provide deep insights into the value of innovation, sustainability and digitalisation, knowledge sharing and a platform for collaboration to transform the sector and pave the way for a sustainable future,” Lootah said.
The two-day event features several panel discussions to assess f&b business and the government’s engagement with manufacturers.
The forum is supported by leading f&b manufacturers and technology companies, including Agthia, IFFCo, Nestle and GE.
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