• Innovation Awards for Agriculture and the first Honey Awards in the UAE are announced on the final day of world’s largest showcase of sustainable agricultural innovation

  • H.E. Engr. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of ANHB the leading apiculture company in the region announces they will give five queen bees to every Emirati beekeeper to support the advancement of sustainable beekeeping in the UAE.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Her Excellency Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mehairi opened the first Food Security Innovations Think-Tank at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority. The private sessions held between local and federal government agencies, private sector enterprises, farmer representatives, experts and specialist and representatives of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council addressed the challenges of the private sector and  explored ways to improve food security policies, strategies and attract investment to support the food security system.

Organized by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority with support by the Food Security Centre - Abu Dhabi, the innovation think-tank addressed: ways to strengthen the food security system by enabling strategic partnerships at the local and federal levels of the UAE; identify the requirements of the private sector and investors in the food and agriculture sector to overcome obstacles; and identify the requirements of complimentary roles between government agencies at both a local and federal level to support the food security system in the the UAE.

In a statement during the conference H.E Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mehairi, Minister of State responsible for future food security said: “The Food Security Innovation Sessions are an ideal platform for joint action, aimed at putting the government and relevant sectors in a row to explore the future of food security and finding solutions to increase the contribution of the private sector in the food equation of the UAE. We cannot consider the issue of food security as an independent issue and separate from society, we must activate the role of all entities in addressing the challenges we face, taking into consideration that innovation is the key tool for improving food and agricultural production and essential for food security.”

In support of each sectors referenced during the think-tank the Global Forum for Agriculture announced the winners of its 2018 Innovation Awards presented by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority. Six companies were awarded as follows: Best innovation in crops production awarded to Elite Agro, UAE for their technique to use high elevation areas to mange crop growing for extremely difficult drop cultivation in the region; Best innovations in Aquaculture awarded to Fresh Corporation AG, Switzerland for their world’s first large-scale urban sea fish farm without access to the sea; Best date production innovation awarded to Natural Alternatives from Palestine for their valorization of date palm waste to produce organic silage; Best Indoor Farming Innovation to Evergreen Farm Oy, from Finland for their innovative vertical farming technology to grow high-quality fruits, vegetable and flowers in a state-of-the-art environmentally controlled structure Direct Feed Vertical Hydroponics (DFVH) unit which produces the world’s highest crop yield per square meter and per cubic meter; Best innovation by a start-up awarded to AgUnity, Australia for their agtech starts helping the smallest farmers in developing countries with a blockchain and smartphone solution; Best Innovation for honey production awarded to Healthy Bees USA, for BeesVita Plus an all natural next generation nutritional system for honey bees; and Best innovation in animal production was awarded to Olmix, French based company for their natural algae-based solutions for nutrition, hygiene and health of plants, animals and Humans.

The Arab Beekeeping Association, as part of their first First International Conference of Arab Beekeepers, also announced the first ever Arab Honey Awards presented by Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council awarding: Gold prize in Liquid Honey to Ghazi Ali Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Arabia and Sliver prize to Ali Khalfan Al-Shamsi, UAE and third prize to Abullah Shuib from Saudi Arabia.

In the honey comb section gold prize was awarded to Fahad Radi Al-Qanoon, Saudi Arabia and silver prize to Ali Al-Dhahani, UAE.

Over 600 companies from over 100 countries presented their products and projects promoting sustainable food production to more than 15,000 visitors who attended the a trio of agtech events GFIA, International Conference of Arab Beekeeping Organization and the second VIV MEA 2018 Abu Dhabi over the two day event.

GFIA  sponsored by the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs, and supported by National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing LLC, AgUnity, GODAN – Global Open Data for Agriculture & Nutrition, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Madar Farms, Emirates Future and the Food Security Center- Abu Dhabi.

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© Press Release 2018