GFIA
CLIENT: Ministry of Presidential Affairs, UAE
LOCATION: Abu Dhabi, UAE
STARTING YEAR: 2014
The annual Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA) was convened in Abu Dhabi during March 2015. GFIA is 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 the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA). The theme for GFIA 2015 was Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). The world’s population is growing, and natural resources are diminishing. This problem is well documented, but to avoid a major catastrophe the world has to find a way to produce 56% more food by 2050. The answer lies in innovation. Innovation in agriculture gives us a real chance of feeding nine billion people using less resource and with no environmental damage. It has the potential to offer solutions to combat global warming, protect vital biodiversity and provide technologies that can improve nutrition and social prosperity in developing countries.
The 2015 GFIA Summit
was inaugurated with a video message from HRH Prince Charles – please visit the GFIA website here https://www.innovationsinagriculture.com/ to view.
Raymond Chavez is a GPC Group member, and served as a Senior Producer and Program Development Advisor for GFIA.GPC’s work with GFIA focused on securing high-level strategic partnerships, sponsors and VIP keynote speakers for the GFIA – CSA Summit. This included negotiating agreements, to produce special GFIA video messages from HRH Prince Charles and U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry to feature as part of the GFIA Summit opening ceremony and on the GFIA website. GPC’s Raymond Chavez established strategic partnerships for GFIA with the Clinton Climate Initiative, Digital Globe, Esri, Global Environment Facility, National Geographic, USAID and the World Bank, among others. GPC’s work with GFIA also included helping to secure participation by national delegations from more than 70 countries including Ministers of Agriculture from: Brazil, Costa Rica, Ireland, France, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Spain, UAE, UK, US and Vietnam as well as from 24 African Union countries. For more information, please see www.innovationsinagriculture.com.