Global conflicts, supply chain disruptions and the continued economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to keep global food prices at historically high levels until 2024, according to a recent World Bank market report.
Factors driving price inflation are record levels of food wastage, with 40 percent to 70 percent of fresh food getting damaged or wasted in the supply chain, due to unfavorable storage conditions or poor handling.
Agricultural labor capacity has also decreased, leaving a large amount of produce left in the fields after the harvest. 23 countries have implemented food export restrictions by August 2022, with seven export-limiting measures in place.
As a result, policymakers, innovators and international leaders are looking for new ways to reorganize supply chains to prioritize food security and ensure access to a healthy diet.
The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Conference 2022, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time in October, will bring together government bodies with major fresh food producers and wholesale market authorities to discuss key challenges and potential new approaches . To bring food from the fields to the table.
Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Security Authority (ADAFSA), said: “Under the wise leadership of the UAE, our country has taken proactive steps to develop an agile food supply chain and support technology-enabled food We are actively working with global partners to share key learnings and address critical challenges facing global food supply chains today.”
ADAFSA is launching a number of initiatives aimed at promoting local production and increasing market access and competitiveness for local products. Apart from improving the wholesale markets for livestock and other agricultural products, these initiatives are also meant to encourage the food and agricultural ancillary industries.
UAE companies participating in the conference will discuss some of the key projects being undertaken to increase access to fresh food and reduce wastage. AD Ports Group, which is developing one of the region’s largest food trade and logistics centers in Kizad in Abu Dhabi, is developing an integrated food trade and logistics hub in Uzbekistan to increase the country’s food trade in global markets and drive Central Asian food security. It is also setting up storage and distribution centers. ,
Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of AD Ports Group’s Economic Cities and Free Zones, said: “AD Ports Group is rapidly internationalizing our expertise in developing food markets with all the supporting infrastructure needed to ensure food security. As the host of the WUWM conference in Abu Dhabi, we are looking forward to learning from our global partners about the different routes wholesale markets are taking to improve efficiency and ensure adequate food supplies.”
Under the theme, “Global Food Security in XXI: Risks, Challenges and Solutions to Ensure Resilient and Sustainable Fresh Food Supply Chains”, WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 will be one of the most important meeting of the global food industry held this year, building on their Work from the 2021 conference that examined food supply challenges in a post-COVID-19 world.