ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been confirmed as global development partner for the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA). 

The event, scheduled Feb. 3-5 in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nayhan, deputy prime minister of the UAE and minister of presidential affairs, will be the world’s largest showcase of innovations in sustainable agriculture.

As partner, the Gates Foundation is advising GFIA on agricultural development projects around the world and is helping identify key NGOs, particularly those with a focus on Africa, that can contribute to GFIA’s program. The Gates Foundation will also provide expert counsel on how innovations can be applied practically to support developing regions of the world.

“We are delighted to have the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The important work that the Gates Foundation is undertaking in Africa has a direct impact on alleviating poverty and building a sustainable future for people who depend on the land. One of the principal aims of GFIA is to ensure that the innovations presented are able to be practically applied in the developing world, and we look forward to working closely with the Gates Foundation on achieving this,” said Mark Beaumont, GFIA project director.

Agricultural development is one of the largest initiatives of the Gates Foundation. To date, it has  have committed more than $2 billion to agricultural development efforts, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with the goal of aiming to reduce hunger and poverty for millions of farming families in these regions by increasing agricultural productivity in a sustainable way.