09/12/2021

Inter-regional collaboration and science and technology were highlighted as important factors for the sector moving forward

Dubai, UAE – An expert panel on day two of the first-ever Global Business Forum (GBF) ASEAN – a dedicated conference that focuses on trade and commerce between Dubai and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) – turned its attention to food security, discussing how agricultural technology - ‘ag-tech’ - is advancing food security goals in both regions and creating prospects for greater cooperation.

Titled: ‘Securing the Food Supply,’ the session brought together H.E. William D. Dar, Secretary for Agriculture in the Philippines and Soeng Sopha, General Manager at Sela Pepper in Cambodia who both joined remotely, with Sky Kurtz, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer at Pure Harvest in the UAE, taking part in person.

H.E Dar underlined inter-regional collaboration as an important factor in securing the food supply. “Greater regional cooperation is needed, which allows us to address numerous issues such as rising global food prices caused by increased pressure and rising costs of fertilisers, among other resources. This kind of cooperation allows for the integration of practices native to each region or country. We are working to leverage our food production capabilities to become a provider of raw materials in the sector and help ensure economies of scale, resulting in lower food prices,” he said.

The panellists were on the same page when it came to the great potential that technology has in the sector, with Secretary Dar asserting that the Philippines agriculture sector was breaking away from traditional mindsets. “Our strategy is to use science and technology to ramp up agricultural activity, and to that end, investment and support for the sector is needed and must be prioritised,” he noted.

For his part, Sky Kurtz agreed with the need for collaboration, as his company gears up to open its first regional office in Singapore. “The ASEAN region includes huge markets that we look forward to accessing,” he noted. “However, the food system also requires materials such as steel, glass and aluminium – all areas where the GCC excels. We developed our product here in the UAE – one of the hottest and most humid places in the world. We designed the system so that if it can work here, it can work anywhere.”

“Solutions like ours help ensure food security and water conservation and in the UAE, we have had great support from Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment who was Minister of State for Food and Water Security previously,” he added.

Sopha Soeng, for her part, reiterated the need to further utilise science and technology in the sector, saying: “To upscale [our operations], we need science and technology. Science can allow us to improve irrigation system and harvest crops twice a year in some instances.”

Soeng noted that one of the leading challenges for exchanging food products globally is the need to adhere with various sets of standards. “We must adhere to food quality standards and we have succeeded in complying with so many of them even though they are different in various countries around the world,” she stressed.

Organised on December 8-9 by Dubai Chamber in partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the two-day GBF ASEAN was held under the theme ‘The New Frontiers.’

The event examined the wealth of bilateral business opportunities that exist between the UAE and the 10-member ASEAN region as the world progressively emerges from the global pandemic.

GBF ASEAN forms part of Dubai Chamber’s flagship Global Business Forum series, which was launched in 2013 to provide Dubai’s business community with new opportunities and strengthen the emirate’s position as a global business hub, a dynamic centre of commerce, and a gateway to lucrative new markets.  

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For Editors:

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About Expo 2020 Dubai:

From October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomes visitors from all over the world, helping to create a new world, while bringing the entire planet together to reshape the future. Under the slogan “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, Expo 2020 represents the incubator of the most influential ideas in the world, stimulating the exchange of new visions and inspiring movement towards finding realistic solutions to real world challenges. Expo 2020 Dubai will be the largest cultural gathering in the world, as it will provide amazing and inspiring experiences over a 182 days, and more than 200 entities will contribute to these experiences, including countries, multilateral organisations, companies, and educational institutions, as well as millions of people.  Expo 2020’s subthemes, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability, will inspire visitors to conserve and protect our planet, explore new horizons, and create a better future for all. Over a period of six months, Expo 2020 will be an ideal destination for families, filled with thousands of activities and wonderful exploration experiences, and will provide free admission for children under the age of 18. Expo 2020 is committed to build a more equal, just and equitable world for all, while maintaining the safety of visitors, by following the latest guidelines issued by world-leading experts in the fields of medicine, science and health. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first International Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, and its location extends over an area of ​​4.38 square kilometres in “Dubai South” near Al Maktoum International Airport. The Expo site represents a practical application of innovation and was built with a vision to being a meaningful and remarkable long-term legacy. After the conclusion of the Expo 2020, it will turn into District 2020, which constitutes a model for a global community that reshapes the features of the cities of the future.

For more information, please contact:

Ruba Abdel Halim

Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry
PR &Corporate Communications Department

Tel: +971 4 2028450

Email: ruba.halim@dubaichamber.com