The 12th annual edition of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Agri-Nutrients Conference will address the twin goals of food security and net-zero from September 28 to 29, 2022 at the Address Sky View Hotel, Dubai, UAE.

The conference will be held under the theme ‘Resolving Global Food Challenges with Agri-Nutrients’ and attract hundreds of industry leaders from across the agri-nutrients value chain. The prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity has been increasing slowly since 2014, with the estimated increase in 2020 alone being equal to that of the previous five years combined. Approximately 2.37 billion people across the world – nearly one in three – did not have access to adequate food in 2020.

This puts the often-overlooked agri-nutrients sector at the forefront to play a quintessential role in tackling global food challenges. Approximately half of global food production is made possible today by agri-nutrients. Given the steady growth of the global population combined with factors, such as land expansion and urbanisation, the role of agri-nutrients in feeding the world will be essential for years to come.

Building on the success of its 2021 edition, the 12th GPCA Agri-Nutrients Conference will return to Dubai to facilitate dialogue and collaboration across the agri-nutrients value chain and address future looking topics, including how the industry can enable climate-smart agriculture, the way forward to mitigate fertiliser-related emissions, what investments will be needed to achieve food security in the region, and how key global trends are impacting agri-nutrient markets.

With agriculture estimated to contribute up to 24 per cent of total GHG emissions worldwide3, a key focus at the conference this year will be the role of sustainable agri-nutrients in lowering the climate impact of the agriculture sector and enabling the transition to net zero. The two-day event will discuss the technologies, innovations, partnerships, and funding needed to decarbonise the industry, while ensuring farmers anywhere in the world are not required to pay more to acquire the necessary nutrients for their food production.

The welcome remarks on day one, 28 September, will be delivered by Abdulrahman Al-Suwaidi, CEO, QAFCO and Chairman, Agri-Nutrients Committee, GPCA, while the keynote address entitled ‘Agri-nutrients: At the heart of ending global hunger’ will be presented by Alzbeta Klein, Director General, International Fertilizer Association (IFA). Later that day, Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will address the ripple effects of the global fertiliser crises and whether they present a threat to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and industry experts will discuss the latest advancements in reducing the environmental footprint of agri-nutrients.

Abdulrahman Shamsaddin, CEO, SABIC Agri-nutrients and Vice-Chair, Agri-Nutrients Committee, GPCA, will welcome delegates on day two, 29 September. He will be followed on stage by strategy experts from the industry, who will discuss global industry M&A trends and regional consolidation trends in a fireside conversation.

Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented: “Ongoing supply chain disruptions as a result of the pandemic, rising food prices and now the Russia-Ukraine conflict mean that the threat of food insecurity for millions of people globally is growing rapidly. I look forward to welcoming global and regional stakeholders from across the agri-nutrients value chain for two days of networking, collaboration and thought-provoking discussions on how we can all work together to address food security challenges within the region and globally, while enabling the transition to net zero.”