AgraME collaborates with the UN to adopt ‘Sustainable Development Goals' to increase food security in the region

Representative from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation to speak at the AgraME Conference in Dubai.

14 February, Dubai, UAE: Under the Patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, AgraME, the regions longest running exhibition for Agriculture have collaborated with the UN to enable food security in the region through adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their upcoming Conference. 

Taking place on 5 – 7 March at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the event will be hosting a high level, free-to-attend conference which focuses on the SDG’s and covers key advancements and trends within the MEA Industry in Agriculture Investment, Animal Health, Aquaculture and Controlled Environment Agriculture. 

The UN SDG’s have been created as a framework for the global community to work together toward the goal of achieving a more sustainable future for generations to come. This framework has helped steer the strategy of regional governments and the implementation of some of the goals will be discussed and brought to life at the AgraME Conference.

Commenting on the adoption of the UN SDGs in to the 2019 conference stream is Samantha Bleasby, Exhibition Director for AgraME “By working with the FAO, the AgraME exhibition and conference will bring together the global Agriculture community to help achieve the UN SDG’s in the region. From finding the latest technology, learning best practice, sharing ideas and creating new government to government and business to business connections, AgraME aims to enable Food Security across the MEA region.”

By bringing together leaders in the Agriculture Industry, the three-day AgraME Conference will address seven goals, including Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land and Partnerships for the Goals. Focussing on sustainability, the conference streams will include Investment opportunities in the Arab World, Urban Farming, Hydroponics, Onshore and Offshore Aquaculture, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, and Sustainability in Livestock, with key organisations such as Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID), Innovation Norway, Agritecture, Al Rawabi, World Organization for Animal Health, and more.

A highlight session of the CPD accredited conference comes from Dr. Markos Tibbo Dambi, Senior Livestock Development Officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). In his presentation, titled ‘Sustainable Livestock Sector Development for Food Security and Nutrition in the GCC’, Dr. Dambi will address specific challenges based on FAO’s Flagship report. ‘World Livestock: Transforming the Livestock Sector through the SDGs’ 

According to Dr. Dambi, “The livestock sector contributes to the achievement of each of the 17 SDGs either directly or indirectly. It is important to examine the sector’s interaction in the GCC with each of the Goals, and the potential synergies, trade-offs, and complex interlinkages to better support the transformation needed in the livestock sector and enhance its contribution to the SDGs.”

“The United Arab Emirates has been a forerunner in adopting new technologies and solutions to increase food security in the region, and the integration of the UN SDG’s to the show and conference are aligned perfectly with the UAE Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071” added Bleasby. 

With a targeted focus on the Crop Farming, Animal Farming, Aquaculture and Animal Health sectors, AgraME 2019 will attract suppliers and buyers, both locally and internationally, looking to source the latest products and innovative solutions in order to create a sustainable food supply across the MEA region.