DUBAI – The European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability (EIIS), an academic company that designs innovative programs for governments, companies and entrepreneurs, and SDG Global, the leading UAE-based consultancy delivering tailored solutions enabling the public and private sector to deliver on their ESG and sustainable development goal targets, have partnered together to bring the Food & Sustainability Challenge to the Middle East. The program aims to benefit investors seeking new methods of green financing, food industry professionals seeking to learn more about sustainable processes in their sector, and Ministries and government bodies seeking to establish higher capacities in ESG modeling and decision-making.
 
The Food & Sustainability Middle East Challenge will start on March 2, 2023, and is a 6-month, out-of-the-ordinary challenge-based and interactive online course that provides knowledge, expertise, networking, and partnership opportunities to fully understand the issues of the Middle East food system while finding solutions to address them.
 
As the Middle East continues to experience severe climate changes, several concerns remain about the agri-tech and food sectors. The region faces unique challenges which impact local production and the economy. By 2030, more than 55 million people out of the 456.7 million who live in this region will be undernourished, and the procurement of key raw materials – such as cereals, and wheat will also be a major issue in the future. According to recent research, there is a significant correlation between crop yield decrease, and temperature increase in the Middle East and northern Africa, regardless of whether CO2 fertilization or adaptation measures are used. The recent United Nations Climate Change Conference 27 (COP27) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt highlighted this emergency – from urgently reducing GHG emissions, building resilience and adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change. 
 
In light of the pressing food security crisis in the Region, both the EIIS and SDG Global believe that building capacity and offering integrated training to ensure longevity and innovation for implementing domestic and international solutions to food security.
 
This 6-month executive program consists of 10 dynamic, digital modules, and gives participants the knowledge, expertise, networking, and partnership opportunities to fully understand the problems associated with the Middle East food system, while finding solutions. The course faculty includes over 30 international high-level global, and local experts with different backgrounds, including world-renowned professor and leaders in sustainable development Jeffrey Sachs, three-Michelin star chef and food waste reduction advocate Massimo Bottura, and managers of food companies such as Nestle and Unilever to representatives of international agencies focused on food, agriculture and biodiversity. The faculty’s experience reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the food industry.
 
“By working collaboratively, we can develop and implement unique solutions to solve the food and sustainability challenges facing our region,” said SDG Global CEO Alanoud Alhashimi. “At SDG Global, we believe that technology plays a key role in bridging the gap in enhancing the current operational capability and developing a better solution to ensure operational effectiveness. This leads to greater environmental and economic impact.”
 
“There is no future without food; there is no food without sustainability. Food sustainability is one of the most critical challenges of our time. The way we produce and consume food has a huge impact on our health and that of the Planet. We must act now to fix the broken food systems,” said EIIS Director General Andrea Geremicca. “At EIIS we believe in connecting sustainable minds to raise awareness on certain issues.”
 
SDG Global is the leading UAE-based consultancy and project development company, focused on delivering tailored and effective solutions to the public and private sectors enabling them to deliver on their environmental and social governance, and sustainable development goal targets. For more information, visit https://sdgglobal.earth/.
 
The European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability (EIIS) is an academic company that designs innovative educational solutions for companies, institutions, and entrepreneurs to facilitate and foster innovation for sustainability. For more information, visit https://www.eiis.it/courses/food-sustainability-the-middle-east-challenge.