World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Conference in Abu Dhabi to Address Supply Chain Risks, Challenges, and Solutions
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 27 September 2022: Each year the world produces more food than it consumes, yet as much as a third of all fresh food produced is loss or wasted before it reaches our tables, according to a recent study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Experts are calling for better and smarter food supply and to adopt industry-wide initiatives that seek to eliminate the current leaks in the system. They advise that the actors from the sector needs to take multi-stakeholders approaches to supply chains, which views them more as an ecosystem with each participant optimising their role and deploying the necessary technologies, processes, and methodologies to achieve zero waste through circular economy strategies.
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 major stakeholders shaping food systems, from government bodies, to food producers, wholesale market authorities, food banks, logisticians and university experts to discuss these critical issues.
Confirmed speakers will include H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates; H.E. Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA); Graham Sanders, CEO, Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD; Mr. Stephane Layani, Chairman, World Union of Wholesale Markets; Chairman and CEO, Rungis International; and Mr. Pierre Levy, CEO and Co-Founder, Califrais.
“More sophisticated global food supply chains require greater infrastructure and training, but we must start building them now,” said Dr. Chris Mejía, a Research Scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and the Director and Founder of the MIT Food and Retail Operations Lab, who will be speaking at the WUWM event.
The conference will review some of the best practices being deployed in global markets that succeed in drastically reducing food waste. It will also profile some of the key projects being undertaken in the region to support enhanced food chains. AD Ports Group, the region’s premier facilitator of logistics, industry, and trade, is acting as host for the event.
Abdullah Al Hameli, CEO of Economic Cities & Free Zones, AD Ports Group, said: “Under the guidance of our wise leadership, the UAE is pursuing a strategy make our nation the world’s best in the Global Food Security Index by 2051. Reimagining the supply chains and enhancing the infrastructure around food distribution and development are among the top priorities we are pursuing.”
Earlier this year, the company announced that it is developing one of the region’s largest food trading and logistics centres at KEZAD Group, in partnership with Ghassan Aboud Group, a strategic sponsor of WUWM 2022, and in collaboration with Rungis.
Suresh Vaidhyanathan, Group CEO of the Ghassan Aboud Group, said, “We are committed to investing in the food value chain in the UAE. The development of the Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD in joint venture with AD Ports Group will help position the UAE as an important part of evolving global food supply chains, and our support for the WUWM Conference will help stimulate discussion around the global and regional challenges faced by the food industry.”
Graham Sanders, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD, a WUWM sponsor, said: “Food security has reached a critical point in many parts of the world, and we can all agree that innovation in the food supply chain has gained paramount importance, if we are to prevent excess food wastage. The WUWM conference presents us with an ideal opportunity to demonstrate how the Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD and its advanced infrastructure will help optimise supply chains for the region, bring product diversity and enable consumers access to healthy and quality food products.”
Under the theme, “Global food security in the XXIs: Risks, challenges and solutions to ensure resilient and sustainable fresh food supply chains”, WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 will be one most significant meetings of the global food industry held this year, building on the work of their 2021 conference which examined the food supply challenges in the post COVID-19 world.
Stephane Layani, WUWM Chairman, said: “Now is the time for action, the time to take bold steps to introduce measures that will enable each industry actor to act towards the transformation of food systems into sustainability and resilience. This conference will address supply chain risks but also the many exciting opportunities for increased cooperation as a vitally important global industry.”
Other topics set to be discussed at WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 include logistics, the role of food hubs in ensuring healthy diets, and the role of digitalisation. The conference will take place from 19-20 October 2022 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
Photo Caption: Artist Impression of Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD.
About WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022
Global food security in the XXIs: Risks, challenges and solutions to ensure resilient and sustainable fresh food supply chains
Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine and ongoing challenges linked to climate change are causing significant disruptions to global food supply chains. Staff shortages, border controls and air freight restrictions, increasing fuel prices and widespread sourcing issues are only some of the issues facing the global fresh food industry. It is more important than ever that urgent collective action is taken to mitigate the impact of these disruptions and to build greater fresh food supply chain resiliency in order to ensure food security worldwide.
WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 will bring together senior public and private sector practitioners and experts from around the world in productive dialogue around key risks and challenges with the aim of identifying pathways and practical tools to ensure more resilient and sustainable fresh food supply chains and establishing mechanisms to ensure food security.
To register for WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022, please visit wuwmabudhabi.com,
About AD Ports Group:
Established in 2006, AD Ports Group today serves as the region’s premier facilitator of logistics, industry, and trade, as well as a bridge linking Abu Dhabi to the world. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX: ADPORTS), AD Ports Group’s vertically integrated business approach has proven instrumental in driving the emirate’s economic development over the past decade.
Operating several clusters covering Ports, Economic Cities & Free Zones, Maritime, Logistics, and Digital, AD Ports Group’s portfolio comprises 10 ports and terminals, and more than 550 square kilometres of economic zones within KEZAD Group, the largest integrated trade, logistics, and industrial business grouping in the Middle East.
AD Ports Group is rated A+ by S&P and A+ by Fitch.
For more information, please visit: adportsgroup.com
Follow AD Ports Group on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adportsgroup
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About Ghassan Aboud Group
Ghassan Aboud Group is an international conglomerate headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, with offices in Australia, Belgium, Jordan and Turkey.
Established in 1994 by Ghassan Aboud, entrepreneur and philanthropist, the group has evolved from its early foundations in the automotive industry to a conglomerate holding some of the most well-entrenched businesses in multiple sectors in the region and beyond.
GAG affiliates operate in activities ranging from Automotive, Retail, Food, Media, Hospitality, Logistics, HealthCare, and Digital B2B Platforms.
For more information, visit www.gagroup.net.
About Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD
Strategically located in the UAE, Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD is a one-stop-shop, an integrated ecosystem to facilitate wholesale trade and logistics across all food categories.
The 3.3 square kilometres project is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Ports Group and Ghassan Aboud Group, in collaboration with Rungis International Market and is an integral part of UAE’s food security agenda.
The hub will facilitate access to the regional and global markets through its world class multimodal transport network, logistics infrastructure and unparalleled connectivity.
The hub is an ambitious venture of global scale and will play an important part in modernizing food trade in the region.
For more information, please visit www.adfoodhub.com
Follow AD Food Hub on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adfoodhub