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ABU DHABI / WAM
The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA), the leading exhibition and conference on sustainable agricultural solutions, opens on Monday at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec). The sixth edition of GFIA, will focus on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can drive progress in agriculture towards increasing food production and ensuring food security in the Middle East and North Africa, (Mena) region.
Held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) under the patronage of HHSheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, the sixth GFIA is co-located with the 2nd ApiArab Expo, 2nd Arab Beekeeping International Conference and for the first time in the Middle East, the 15th Annual Asian Apicultural Association (AAA) Conference. Supported by Arab Beekeeping Association, the 2nd edition of ApiArab Expo will bring together 2,000+ technology suppliers, large honey producers and hobbyists for two days of networking and knowledge sharing to give regional beekeepers the tools to expand on additional revenue streams and develop the sophistication and sustainability of existing operations.
Since 2014, GFIA has helped over 25,000 farmers, growers and agribusinesses find innovations in sustainable agriculture. Now in its 6th edition, GFIA is one of the best attended agriculture events in the Middle East and the only one dedicated to sustainable agtech. Join 7,000 forward-thinking food producers from the Mena region in April 2019.
Organisers said GFIA comes at an important time in supporting the development of the AgTech ecosystem and to establish Abu Dhabi as a global centre for desert environment agriculture innovation. We are pleased to also have five young innovators from local Abu Dhabi schools who will present their own agricultural innovations at this year’s GFIA.
Over 100 countries will exhibit their products and projects promoting sustainable food production to more than 8,000 visitors expected to attend the free to attend two-day conference and exhibition. GFIA will include over 50 ag-tech innovations from across the world being showcased for the first time in Abu Dhabi and the GFIA Innovation Awards will recognise innovations which will improve global security. GFIA is dedicated to sustainable agriculture across all types of food production and this year’s event will incorporate five clearly defined exhibition zones: Indoor Farming and Hydroponics, Livestock and Animal Production, Date Palm Production, Aqua Tech, and Sustainable Crops.
The two-day GFIA supports the UAE’s drive to encourage the adoption of new technologies in the agricultural sector and advancement of facilitating global agribusiness trade in the nation for future food security. GFIA includes a high-profile selection of essential vertical farming innovations and solutions for the region that provide sustainable-technology for domestic food supply for food producers across the UAE and MENA who are under pressure to save natural resources, improve productivity, increase the efficiency of their supply chains and be ready to meet the challenges of climate change.