GPCA meeting focuses on food security and net zero

The twin goals of food security and net zero emissions will be discussed at the 12th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Agro-Nutritives Conference at the Address Sky View Hotel in Dubai, UAE, on September 28-29.

The conference will feature “Solving Global Food Challenges with Agronutrients” and will attract hundreds of industry leaders from across the agronutrient value chain. The incidence of moderate to severe food insecurity has been rising slowly since 2014, with an estimated increase in 2020 alone equal to the previous five years combined. In 2020, some 2.37 billion people (nearly one third) in the world will not have access to adequate food.

This has given the often overlooked agri-nutrients industry a quintessential role in addressing global food challenges. Today, approximately half of the world’s food production is achieved through agricultural nutrients2. Given the steady growth of the global population and factors such as land expansion and urbanization, the role of agricultural nutrients in feeding the world will be critical in the coming years.

The 12th GPCA Agrinutrients Conference will foster dialogue and collaboration across the agrinutrient value chain and discuss future topics including how the industry can achieve climate-smart agriculture, ways to reduce fertilizer-related emissions, what investments will be needed in Achieving food security in the region and how key global trends are affecting the agri-nutrients market.

Agriculture is estimated to be responsible for 24% of total global greenhouse gas emissions3, and this year’s conference will focus on the role of sustainable agricultural nutrients in reducing the agricultural sector’s climate impact and enabling the transition to net zero. The two-day event will discuss the technology, innovation, partnerships and funding needed to decarbonize the industry, while ensuring farmers around the world don’t have to pay more to get the nutrients they need for food production.

Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of the GPCA, commented: “The continued disruption of supply chains due to the pandemic, rising food prices and now the Russia-Ukraine conflict means that the threat of food insecurity for millions of people around the world is rapidly increasing. I look forward to welcoming global and regional stakeholders from across the agri-nutrition value chain for two days of networking, collaboration and thought-provoking discussions on how we can work together to address regional and global food security challenges while enabling the transition to net zero .” – arab trade news agency