Due to debut in Dubai next year, new mega food events GULFOOD GREEN & GULFOOD AGROTECH are expected to propel sustainability and innovation to the fore when it comes to the agendas of the world’s biggest food companies and countries.

As the 28th edition of the world’s largest Gulfood goes even larger and greener this year, organiser Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has announced to the hundreds of thousands of global community followers the launch of all-new sustainability-focused events GULFOOD GREEN & GULFOOD AGROTECH, set to take place 24-26 September 2024 at DWTC.

 

The first GULFOOD GREEN 2024 event will provide an indispensable global platform for the entire food ecosystem to share and exchange on technology, regulations, practices, solutions and changes in consumer food culture, in order to achieve sustainability in all its dimensions – from farmers, to supply chains, food production, logistics, and consumption. It will fast-track the sharing of emerging, innovative concepts and products, and offer insights into alternative ways to produce, trade and consume food; sourcing and clean label products; green packaging; plant-forward food production and consumption; and reducing food waste in the supply chain.

 

The global agritech market is projected to reach US$22.6 billion by 2025, driven by the adoption of advanced technologies and demand for food traceability and security. GULFOOD AGROTECH 2024 will galvanise all sectors of the global agriculture and food supply chains to create a more sustainable food ecosystem for all, bringing together like-minded stakeholders from around the world to explore the innovative ways and transformative technologies required to address development challenges and advance the global transition to sustainable food systems.

“Innovation should be front and centre of food system transformation”

 

Addressing the audience on the opening day of GULFOOD 2023, Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment explained, “Innovation should be at the front and centre of our food system transformation. Leveraging currently available technologies and introducing new ones will accelerate the process in addition to eliminating food loss and food waste from every part of the supply chain.’’

 

With a third of greenhouse gas emissions coming from current food systems and a third of all food that is produced going to waste, Minister Almheiri reiterated the need to adopt and adapt innovations to support better behaviour around food and transform food systems into more sustainable ones.

 

“The urgent need for, and momentous shift towards, more resilient and climate-supportive food production and consumption has led to the creation of a different event mission: to champion innovative ideas transforming our consumption behaviours and leading us to a more responsible and sustainable future,” emphasised Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President, Dubai World Trade Centre – GULFOOD’s organiser. “GULFOOD, with its global influence and leadership in the world food economy, will provide the international Green and AgroTech movement the imperative to evolve and catalyse the sophistication and innovation of the circular food industry.” 

 

She added that through outcome-focused exchanges, Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and ideations – such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and smart agriculture – GULFOOD GREEN & GULFOOD AGROTECH is determined to inspire the innovative thinking and collaborative action that will help boost yields, cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve food security.

Addressing challenges, sharing advancements 

 

GULFOOD GREEN will put a spotlight on current issues in sourcing disruption, production, transportation, logistics, distribution, technology and innovation, with particular emphasis on the impact of such dynamics on developing countries. The event will provide a critical annual platform for all F&B stakeholders across the value chain to address the socioeconomic and environmental challenges exacerbating food insecurity, and share the ideas, foresight and accomplishments in tech development, international collaboration, and innovations with revolutionary implications for the future of food access. 

 

Venture capital investors drove US$51.7bn into agritech start-ups in 2021 (+85 per cent compared to 2020). With agritech start-ups around the world raising US$8bn in 2021, and a similar amount in 2022, demand is clear from the investor side. GULFOOD AGROTECH will create a platform that will connect start-ups with VCs, angel investors, incubators, accelerators, and innovation builders from across the globe.

“A space to connect, convene and catalyse” sustainable actions

“With the world experiencing a polycrisis – multiple, complex, and compounding global challenges, including the impact of the pandemic, climate change, conflict, economic shocks and high food prices – we are at risk of reversing hard-fought gains against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. And all to the detriment of our planet,” warned Paul Newnham, Executive Director of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub.

“It is more imperative than ever that we bring all food systems stakeholder voices to the table. We cannot ignore any one of these issues. But to break the cycle of crisis upon crisis and to put us on course to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, all actions we take must achieve multiple wins and impacts all at once. GULFOOD GREEN & GULFOOD AGROTECH 2024 provide an ideal location to elevate these issues and to raise our collective level of ambition, whilst also offering a space to connect, convene and catalyse stakeholders to present solution-focused actions that can help drive change,” he remarked.

 

GULFOOD GREEN 2024, the dedicated event focused on catalysing sustainable and eco-positive food ecosystems, will be hosted alongside GULFOOD AGROTECH 2024, from 24-26 September 2024, converging next generation farm machinery, equipment, techniques and practices including leveraging the fourth industry technologies of AI, robotics and blockchain amongst other emerging deep tech.