[ad_1]
High-level stakeholders from the global fresh food industry, including more than 500 public and private sector leaders and experts from around the world, have arrived in Abu Dhabi for the ongoing 2022 World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Conference No. Once in the Middle East.
The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) is an international network of fresh food organizations with 217 members in 40 countries. Its goal is to ensure that people around the world have easy access to high-quality, healthy diets through a well-organized, safe and sustainable food system.
Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, will address the opening of the event, outlining the scale of the food security challenge facing the world and promoting the UAE’s significant contribution to building national, regional and global food ecosystems .
Speaking of the meeting, she said: “The UAE is delighted to welcome the WUWM meeting to Abu Dhabi as it will address some of the key issues that directly affect food security in the region and globally. This is of utmost importance to the nation’s wise leadership. We are working with our private sector partners and the wider international community to improve access and availability of food.”
The meeting will also include a speech by the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates.
His Excellency Dr. Sani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for External Trade of the United Arab Emirates, said: “About 23% of the food produced globally is traded across borders, which means that the food supply chain has a significant impact on consumers and communities. are critical. A global pandemic has highlighted the complexity and fragility of the global food system, and this year’s WUWM will put the spotlight on the importance of building resilience in farm-to-fork infrastructure. As a company that currently imports 90% of our A nation of food needs, worth $25 billion a year, the UAE is keen to shape these conversations and ensure ideas, programmes and policies are developed to ensure supply always meets demand.”
The event will also include a special address by HE Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED).
His Excellency said: “Against a context of rapid regional and global change, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has made significant investments in developing innovation, infrastructure and connectivity, which are the foundations of the UAE’s National Strategy for Food Security. We are delighted to welcome the World Wholesale The Market Alliance comes to Abu Dhabi and is eager to share important lessons on the role of fresh food markets in supporting community well-being and economic growth.”
Other keynote speakers include Abdullah Humaid Al Hameli, CEO of AD Ports Group Economic Cities and Free Zones; Stephane Layani, President of the World Wholesale Markets Alliance and President and CEO of Rungis International; Qu Dongyuhe, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimuna Mohamed Sharif.
Stephane Layani said: “This meeting comes at a time when food security has become one of the most pressing issues on the agendas of governments, as the multi-layered crisis we face greatly increases the risk of food crises and shortages around the world. is a valuable opportunity to find bold new ways to address the most pressing challenges the global fresh food system is experiencing and accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems.”
Qu Dongyu said: “Collective action is needed to increase the resilience of fresh food supply chains to better cope with environmental and other shocks and disruptions. These actions must focus on protecting the stability of food production and supply; by reducing food losses and waste and using climate-friendly technologies and innovations that improve supply chain efficiency to reduce environmental impact; and ensure food safety.”
Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of AD Ports Group Economic Cities and Free Zones, said: “As host of WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022, AD Ports Group is very grateful for the strong support from our wise leadership who have made food security a priority for the UAE We are actively working with our partners in the region to build a safe and sustainable future food supply chain and will share our progress in the development of Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD with our counterparts in the international community at the conference .”
Participating UAE organisations include Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Etihad Cargo and SILAL, while international companies include Compagnie Fruitière Group, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Hunts Point Produce Market and Califrais. The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism is the destination partner for the event and Ghassan Aboud Group is the strategic partner for the event.
Themed “Global Food Security in the Twenty-First Century: Risks, Challenges, and Solutions for Ensuring Resilient and Sustainable Fresh Food Supply Chains”, the conference will support industry leaders to work together to develop actionable solutions to current challenges to Concerns about the future of global food security.
WUWM Abu Dhabi’s 2022 discussion programme will begin with an opening panel discussion on the theme “Cooperation and Collaboration: A Collective Approach to Global Food Security Challenges”. Emphasizing the importance of building an urgent and coordinated response, the panel will bring together a cross-section of industry leaders to discuss the current state of the global fresh food system and the challenges affecting it.
The day session will continue to focus on solution development and delivery, with panels dedicated to supply chain resilience and innovation. The “Supply Chain Resilience Group” will analyse the benefits of localised systems for building resilience, while the “Innovation Group” will examine the role of digital technologies in reducing waste, improving food safety and making production and transport more efficient.
The afternoon breakout session will include a series of interactive roundtables, including “Assessing the role of governments and multilateral institutions in promoting and facilitating the transformation of food systems” and “Exploring the infrastructure for efficient and sustainable value chains in the 21st century”.
Source: WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022
[ad_2]
Source link