The 27th edition of the largest F&B sourcing event will witness the launch of several industry first initiatives that will empower youth and SMEs in the region
In its 27th edition, the world’s largest annual F&B sourcing event Gulfood 2022 will run from 13 – 17 February, addressing the key trends disrupting the international food industry agenda.
Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the event will highlight the UAE’s status at the forefront of sector change and leading role in tackling global issues with the launch of Gulfood Zero Waste, a global campaign in partnership with restaurants and hotels driving the zero waste initiative globally.
“Gulfood 2022 will underscore UAE’s pivotal role in driving global F&B sector change for the better with a deep-dive into the trends and techniques set to transform the industry for good,” said Trixie LohMirmand, executive vice president, exhibitions & events, DWTC.
“The Gulfood Zero Waste is a global initiative with the goal of sparking dialogue and movement among policy-makers, industry leaders and communities to take a pro-active approach to adopting zero-waste initiatives, which can help end the discrepancies between food waste and hunger while playing a part in addressing climate change,” she added.
The landmark show will be the global sector’s undisputed transformation powerbroker, where major global challenges, trends and change drivers will be examined, including e-commerce; technology, sustainability and disruptive cellular agriculture bio-innovation – the production of animal sourced foods from cell culture methods; emerging slow and plant-based food trends.
The show will be a precursor to the Food For Future Summit and Global Agtech Innovation Expo taking place from 23 – 24 February at Expo 2020’s Dubai Exhibitions Centre – part of the Expo 2020 Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods Week.
“The campaign is yet another example of UAE’s desire and leadership to power industry development for the good of all. In addition, this influential gathering will host over 4,000 exhibiting companies, a host of high-calibre speakers from 120 countries, and more than 100 award-winning chefs, including Michelin Star and ‘World’s Best’ winners, business leaders and government policy-makers under one roof,” said LohMirmand.
Latest data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (UN-FAO) indicates that one third of the world’s food is wasted, equating to 1.3 tonnes annually at a cost of $1 trillion. Beyond the detrimental environmental impact, wastage also translates to the loss of nutrients and resources (water, land, labour, energy, and cost) invested in food production.
Gulfood Zero Waste will light the way in addressing this major global issue, with chefs from 30 UAE restaurants, cafes, and dark kitchens focusing on sustainable practices using local produce via off-site workshops and masterclasses.
The annual event will also propel sector conversations from agenda to action and facilitate innovative start-ups, spark the emergence of food tech solutions, empower young industry professionals and women within the sector’s research and development, and spur e-commerce.
“Gulfood 2022 will build on the event’s unequivocal reputation as an industry trend springboard and a global sourcing powerhouse to inspire industry-wide transformation for the good of the entire eco-system, from raw material producers to policy-makers and consumers,” explained LohMirmand.
“This is a time when Dubai is, via Expo 2020, presenting to the world, a whole new future with the grandstanding of epoch-making transformations. Gulfood 2022 takes its cue from this inspiring vision with a more profound concept to provoke a stronger collective impact on the industry’s future,” she added.
Empowering young industry professionals and SMEs
In an industry first, this year’s event will feature the Gulfood E-commerce Platform, an exclusive networking and conference agenda powering the increasingly growing role of the digital marketplace in the food supply chain.
SMEs will pitch to leading e-commerce and food delivery partners on ways retailers can boost their digital presence and hear from sector leaders, including Sebastian Wussler, the German entrepreneur behind Hoodly, an online store building application that helps with their set-up and e-commerce business process monitoring in less than five minutes.
Other sector pioneers who will be providing invaluable insight include Nikola Cabarkapa, VP of brand partnerships and MFC of grocery delivery app Instashop and Yesuprabhakar Yarlagadda, vice president – grocery, of the Middle East’s home-grown online marketplace, Noon.
Gulfood Global Changemakers, the future-focused start-up programme will also see 30-40 embryo ventures pitch innovative ideas and food tech solutions to renowned venture capitalists and investors.
Gulfood YouthX in partnership Hilton and Dubai College of Tourism is a first-of-its-kind platform to empower the most promising aspiring chefs, featuring a massive mentorship & scholarship programme.
With the first edition focusing on aspiring Emirati chefs, participants will get to interact with Kasdi Dahari, Executive Chef, Hilton Palm Jumeirah and a team of young chefs that went on to win seven Gold Medals in the 2021 Chefs’ Table Competition.
Winning chefs in the YouthX contest will land hands-on learning experience in one of Hilton Europe’s dining destinations, while the runner-up will secure a 25 percent scholarship for Dubai College of Tourism’s Culinary Arts Programme.
“This year, organisers have taken this concept to a whole new level by directly addressing key industry issues through new events, such as Gulfood YouthX and Gulfood Zero Waste. It has set the benchmark in moving from discussion to action and thrown down a challenge to the industry to accept the baton and implement at pace,” commented Simon Penfold, sales director – ingredients and food service – Middle East at Fonterra.
SOURCE: arabianbusiness.com