The third edition of Agriscape concluded today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the invitation-only event drew the participation of 50 exhibitors offering agri-land and agri-assets in 22 countries and 300 visitors and buyers from 37 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Singapore, USA, and Russia.

The first of its kind exhibition dedicated to promoting investment in the agricultural sector abroad aimed to enhance food security in the UAE through strengthening supply chain stability and ensuring the sustainable availability of strategic food commodities. The two-day event highlighted key issues related to food security and agri-food investment with the strong participation of leading international agribusinesses and key decision-makers including the foreign ministers of South Africa and Ecuador. The event also hosted the national pavilions of countries including South Africa, Serbia, Moldova, Belarus, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

His Excellency Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA, said: “Agriscape demonstrates ADAFSA’s keenness to implement the directives of the country’s leadership to strengthen our country’s food security resilience through stimulating investment in this vital sector while supporting national companies to pursue potential investment opportunities across the globe. In attracting the strong participation of prominent agri-food decision-makers and investors, the event offered an ideal platform for specialized companies to explore the latest opportunities to invest and expand their agri-land and agri-asset portfolio.”

Al Bahri added: “The success of Agriscape 2019 in attracting emerging technological innovations in the agri-food sector will enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as an incubator for agricultural innovation, production, and future food security. Furthermore, continued innovation will enable us to address various challenges facing the country’s agriculture sector due to its unique desert climate. Thanks to the role of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office in supporting the stimulation of investment in agricultural innovation, as well as the sponsorship of Abu Dhabi Ports, Al Dahra and National Feed have bolstered the events and activities of Agriscape.”

Agriscape 2019 also featured AgTech Area that showcased innovative agricultural solutions in the idea or concept phase within a broad range of farming and agricultural production domains. Hosted in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), AgTech Area showcased 11 global innovations for the first time including intelligent horticulture platform, lighting for indoor farming powered by laser technology, indoor and vertical farming solutions, monitoring water usage, precision irrigation solution, enhancing farm productivity and improving production quality, crop analysis using drone and satellite imagery, soil steaming systems, animal nutrition and 3D camera technology to estimate cattle weight.

For his part, Fadi Saad, Managing Director of Multibridge Event Management, said: “Agriscape has emerged as a definitive platform to address the pressing global issue of food security through highlighting the most promising agri-food investment opportunities worldwide. In addition to attracting strong participation of top policymakers, investors and a select group of global, regional and local companies specializing in this vital sector, the event facilitated, for the third year in a row, effective partnerships among participating companies to boost investment in agriculture and ensure the sustainability of food resources. ”

Since its inaugural edition in 2017, Agriscape has become a firm fixture on the calendars of farmland investors, as it offers a comprehensive overview of the latest global trends in agriculture investment. In 2018, the event drew the participation of 53 exhibitors associated with agri-land and other agri-assets in more than 50 countries. The exhibition also attracted 277 investors, including 95 hosted buyers from all over the world.