Food security, agritech, and sustainability under spotlight as UAE concludes Food for Future Summit

Food security, agritech, and sustainability under spotlight as UAE concludes Food for Future Summit

Chandra Dake. — Supplied photo

The summit ushered in a new era of multistakeholder participation for global food security.

Published: Mon 28 Feb 2022, 10:19 PM Last updated: Mon 28 Feb 2022, 10:22 PM

When news cycles across the world are rife with geopolitical tensions, existential threats, and the remnants of the pandemic, the UAE has kept things on an even keel with impact-led conclaves, the Expo, and developmental activities. At a time when it is seemingly difficult to not get pulled into mainstream happenings, the Gulf nation has managed to keep its eyes on the ball. And rightly so because there are long-standing global challenges that continue to grow unchecked. Global hunger, for starters, has increased further, with 2.37 billion people having no access to food or a healthy diet regularly(1).

Against this backdrop, the inaugural Food for Future Summit, held on the sidelines of the Expo, was of great consequence. Hosted by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, with the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as a strategic partner, the summit ushered in a new era of multistakeholder participation for global food security. It lived up to its billing, bringing key decision-makers, technologies, and ideas under one roof.