Key Takeaways
- Event Highlights: The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai hosted 14 start-ups, with over 300 delegates, 76 speakers, and attendees from 37 countries.
- Focus Areas: Discussions centered on climate-resilient agriculture, including crop science, water scarcity, soil health, regenerative practices, and digitized seed management.
- Major Announcements:
- Silal and Bayer’s MoU to address agricultural innovation and sustainability in arid regions.
- Bolschare Group’s launch of the Arima platform, a certified agricultural CO2 impact calculator.
- Leadership Insights: Positive feedback from industry leaders on the relevance of the UAE as a hub for agricultural innovation, with a focus on desert farming and sustainability.
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai Overview
The second edition of the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit took place in Dubai on December 9–10, bringing together agricultural solutions tailored to climate-stressed regions across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. With over 300 delegates, 76 speakers, and representatives from 37 countries, the event highlighted a diverse mix of offerings—from smallholder farming technologies to large-scale controlled environment systems. The agenda focused on pressing challenges such as water scarcity, resilient value chains, soil health, regenerative agriculture, and advancements in digital farming innovations.
Key Announcements
- Silal and Bayer Collaboration: Silal and Bayer signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance sustainable agriculture in arid regions. Key initiatives include:
- Developing digital farming solutions tailored to local needs.
- Establishing a ForwardFarming demonstration site to showcase sustainable desert farming.
- Enhancing capacity building through Bayer’s BayG.A.P. program.
- Conducting vegetable seed trials to identify climate-resilient crop varieties.
- Leadership Comments:
- Salmeen Al Ameri, CEO of Silal: “By combining our local expertise with Bayer’s global capabilities, we are creating a framework for sustainable agricultural innovation that will benefit UAE farmers.”
- Hugo Hagen, Bayer Representative: “This partnership advances our mission of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none,’ while addressing critical climate challenges.”
- Bolschare Group Launches Arima Platform: Spain-based Bolschare Group unveiled its Arima platform, a certified tool for measuring environmental impacts across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions as per the GHG Protocol. The platform offers:
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- Real-time farm monitoring and management tools, such as Field Notebook and Digital Twin.
- Comprehensive sustainability metrics to meet regulatory and operational needs.
- An estimated platform valuation exceeding €2 billion.
- Recognition: The platform is certified by Aenor and aligns with growing demand for sustainability-integrated operational strategies.
Feedback from Participants at World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in Dubai
Endre Harnes, AVISOMO:
- Praised the intimate nature of the event, which facilitated meaningful high-level networking.
- Highlighted the UAE’s potential for indoor farming and government support for the sector.
- Noted skepticism surrounding vertical farming due to industry challenges but expressed interest in returning next year.
Hugo Hagen, Bayer:
- Acknowledged the UAE as a pivotal market for desert farming, driven by government initiatives and investment opportunities.
Summit Impact
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit continues to position Dubai as a hub for global agricultural innovation. With key collaborations and groundbreaking solutions presented, the event underscores the potential for sustainable farming practices to address pressing climate challenges in arid and resource-scarce regions.
