AGENDA

• Mira El Ghaziri

Moderator:
Dr. Kayan Akram Jaff, Adviser and Head of Mission of the Subregional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Panelists:

• H.E. Dr. Farah Al Zarooni, Assistant Undersecretary for the Standards and Regulations Sector, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology
• H.E. Maria Hanif Alqassim, Assistant Undersecretary, Policies and Economic Studies Sector, Ministry of Economy
• Kaltham Ali Hussain Kayaf, Director of Animal Development and Health, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

• Paola Giavedoni, Lead Global Collaborations, Foodvalley NL, Netherlands
• Sake Kolhoff, Project Coordinator, Foodtech Valley, NLI

• Dr Nicola Watts, Principal, C4 Impact, Australia
• Mirjana Price

Understanding consumer trends in health-focused and value-oriented products. Insights on rising demand for organic, plant-based foods and e-commerce’s influence on consumer purchasing behavior in the F&B sector

Moderator:

• Sithara Hatim, Regional Manager, SGS

Panelists:

• Nasser Abdullah, CEO, Low Calories
• Sahil Majeed, Technical Manager, SGS
• Garima Gogia, VP Commercial, FreshonTable

Globally, 37.2 million people face emergency levels of hunger, highlighting the ongoing need for coordinated international responses. This session will highlight effective collaborations among governments, NGOs, and the private sector for efficient emergency food distribution and explore the logistical challenges and solutions in delivering food to conflict and disaster-affected regions. Drawing lessons from recent crises, this session will focus on improving future food aid preparedness, ensuring timely and effective responses in critical situations.

Moderator:

• Mira El Ghaziri, Founder, My Health Path

Panelists:

• Emre Yuksek, IOFS Humanitarian Affairs Manager

• Dr. Wael, Medical Director and Environmental Sciences, M42

A brief introduction to the session’s focus on food security and sustainability, setting the stage for the talks.

• Head of the Department of Food Science/Research Office, CAVM, UAEU

The speaker will discuss cutting-edge agricultural technologies, such as precision farming and advanced irrigation systems, and their applications in enhancing food security.

• Prof. Susanne Schmidt, Professor, University of Queensland, Australia

The focus will be on recent developments in food science that enhance food production and safety, particularly in challenging environmental conditions.

• Prof. Shao-Quan Liu, National University of Singapore

A moderated discussion featuring insights from the session’s speakers, focusing on bridging sustainability and food security in the UAE and globally.

The session will explore the integral role of nutrition security and focus on embedding health into food production and promotion and ensuring continuous access to nutritious food.

Moderator:

• Mira El Ghaziri

Panelists:

• Fatima Alzarooni, Health of Health Promotion, MOHAP

• Prof Carine Platat, Department of Nutrition & Health, UAE University

Introduction to the UAE F&B sector’s growth trajectory, its strategic position in the Middle East, and government support for the sector’s sustainability and innovation.

• Abdul Vaheed, Secretary General, UAE F&B Manufacturing Business Group