- The Summit had over 24 global speakers and over 1,000 participants from over 65 different countries
- AeroFarms signs MoUs with NYUAD and ICBA at the Summit, helping expand Abu Dhabi’s role for AgTech innovation
- The Summit has been supported through collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office
AeroFarms®, a Certified B Corporation and world leader in indoor vertical farming, has convened the 2nd Annual AeroFarms AgTech Innovation Summit at the Rosewood Hotel in Abu Dhabi, bringing together over 24 speakers and over 1,000 participants from over 65 different countries to discuss the future of food and agriculture. The Summit has been supported through AeroFarms’ ongoing collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).
The Summit saw keynote addresses by Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, Sonny Ramaswamy, President and CEO of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and former Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and AeroFarms Co-Founder and CEO David Rosenberg. Panels were moderated by Becky Anderson, Managing Editor, CNN Abu Dhabi and Anchor, and Kelsey Warner, Future Editor of The National UAE.
“We are extremely excited to host our 2nd Annual AeroFarms AgTech Innovation Summit to bring together the foremost minds on solving some of the biggest challenges of our time,” said Roger Buelow, Chief Technology Officer of AeroFarms. “At AeroFarms, we are transforming the future of food and convening the leaders in the space for dialogue and discussion, to create collaborative and cohesive action including research with key companies in the region to address increasing challenges with growing outdoors and supply chain issues.”
At the Summit as well, AeroFarms announced two signings of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).
“AeroFarms has found an incredible ecosystem within Abu Dhabi and UAE where we have been able to hire locally talented employees as well as find key partners for research initiatives with leading organizations like NYUAD and ICBA,” commented David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms. “We are very appreciative of our long-standing relationship with ADIO to help foster this community as we drive meaningful change and innovation.”
David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms, and NYUAD Dean of Science Marta Losad participated in the signing ceremony. Losada said, "NYU Abu Dhabi is delighted to be partnering with AeroFarms on this important research initiative. This collaboration will allow us to explore the potential of indoor vertical farming and its ability to meet the needs of populations around the world. This is a great opportunity to bring together our respective expertise and knowledge to develop innovative solutions for food production, sustainability, and food security."
AeroFarms Co-Founder and CEO David Rosenberg and Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA participated in the Signing Ceremony. Dr. Tarifa Alzaabi, Director General of ICBA, said: “Controlled-environment agriculture systems like vertical farming have great potential for increasing food production in arid and semi-arid regions while helping to save water and other inputs. As our center has extensive research on high-, mid- and low-tech controlled-environment agriculture systems, we are delighted to partner with AeroFarms to achieve greater synergy and impact. Through this collaboration, we will be able to innovate and test solutions for resource-efficient and sustainable agriculture in harsh environments.”
ADIO has partnered with AeroFarms since 2020 as part of its goal to create sustainable investment opportunities that support next generation agriculture in arid and desert environments. The partnership through ADIO’s Innovation Program enabled the creation of Abu Dhabi’s AeroFarms AgX, the largest indoor vertical farm of its kind for research and development in the world.
AeroFarms is a purpose-driven company, on a mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity. AeroFarms has been leading the way to elevate agriculture for people and the planet, helping address climate change by enabling local food production using no pesticides ever to grow safe, nutritious, and delicious food all year round. AeroFarms is both a change-the-world technology company and an award-winning brand that is reimagining the way food is grown and celebrating its full FlavorSpectrum™ of flavorful possibilities.
About AeroFarms
Since 2004, AeroFarms has been leading the way for indoor vertical farming and championing transformational innovation for agriculture. On a mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation with global headquarters in Newark, New Jersey. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company two years in a row and one of TIME’s Best Inventions in Food, AeroFarms patented, award-winning indoor vertical farming technology provides the perfect conditions for healthy plants to thrive, taking agriculture to a new level of precision, food safety, and productivity while using up to 95% less water and no pesticides ever versus traditional field farming. AeroFarms enables local production to safely grow all year round, using vertical farming for elevated flavor.™ Its products can be found at major selling partners like Ahold Delhaize, Amazon Fresh, Baldor Specialty Food, Compass Group, Harris Teeter, Marcus BP, Momofuku Noodle Bars, ShopRite, The Fresh Market, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market. AeroFarms has commercial farms in the United States and recently announced plans to develop throughout the Middle East region. Through its proprietary growing technology platform and cutting-edge R&D Centers in both the US and the UAE, AeroFarms has grown over 550 varieties of plants and has developed multi-year strategic partnerships ranging from government to major Fortune 500 companies to help uniquely solve agriculture supply chain needs. For additional information, visit: www.aerofarms.com.
About NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective program with majors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts, and humanities with a world center for advanced research. Its campus enables students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world, and to advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from some 120 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents. For additional information, visit: www.nyuad.nyu.edu.
About ICBA
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) is a unique applied agricultural research center in the world with a focus on marginal areas where an estimated 1.7 billion people live. It identifies, tests, and introduces resource-efficient, climate-smart crops and technologies that are best suited to different regions affected by salinity, water scarcity, and drought. Through its work, ICBA helps to improve food security and livelihoods for some of the poorest rural communities around the world. For additional information, visit: www.biosaline.org.
Attachments
- AeroFarms CEO David Rosenberg Gives a Keynote Address to Summit Guests
- AeroFarms CEO David Rosenberg Signs MoUs with NYU Abu Dhabi and ICBA
