Innovative food systems key to tackling global food crisis, say experts
The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Conference 2022, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time in October, will bring together government bodies with leading fresh food producers and wholesale market authorities to discuss key challenges and potential new approaches to bring food from farms to the table.
H.E. Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) said: “Under the wise leadership of the UAE, our nation has taken proactive steps to develop agile food supply chains and support technology-enabled food production. We are actively working with global partners to share key learnings and address the critical challenges facing global food supply chains today.”
Under the theme, “Global food security in the XXIs: Risks, challenges and solutions to ensure resilient and sustainable fresh food supply chains”, WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 will be one most significant meetings of the global food industry held this year, building on the work of their 2021 conference which examined the food supply challenges in the post COVID-19 world.
Stephane Layani, WUWM Chairman, said: “The key aim of the conference is to find pathways to provide communities with balanced, healthy and nutritious diets, and to overcome the current challenges restricting access for a significant proportion of the global population. We have made good progress in recent years, but the current wave of global political and climate-related challenges risk pushing us back, particularly with the long tail impact of COVID-19. I am optimistic that, by bringing together key stakeholders in Abu Dhabi, we will be able to actively address the current issues and look ahead to a more stable, food secure future.”
Other topics set to be discussed at WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 include logistics, the role of food hubs in ensuring healthy diets and the role of digitalisation.
The conference will take place from 19-20 October 2022 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.