GODAN Executive Director Andre Laperriere was invited to judge the 2019 GFIA Innovation Awards, held at the Global Forum for Innovation in Agriculture in Abu Dabi, from 1-2 April. While at the awards, delivered a Keynote speech on Bridging the Digital Divide in Agriculture.

As part of the Innovation Awards, M. Laperriere also Chaired a panel on Artifical Intelligence for Healthier Plants, Animals and Agriculture.

Additionally, as part of its participation in the conference, GODAN organised a high level lunch meeting where participants discussed, among other things, the topics of AI, data and agriculture.

The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture has emerged as a global authority on sustainable food production, driving innovation through exhibitions and conferences across the world. With an arid climate and a rapidly growing population, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's need to produce more food is an urgent challenge. GFIA showcases hundreds of products to help improve yields, combat pests, increase profits, save water and ultimately overcome the challenges of climate change.

The GFIA Innovation Awards, hosted at the Forum, are designed to celebrate innovations that help to improve global food security without destroying our planet.

The 2019 Awards categories were:

• Best innovation in indoor farming
• Best innovation in animal production
• Best innovation in aquaculture
• Best innovation in crop protection
• Best innovation in date palm production
• Best innovation by a start up