SABIC executive calls for responsible, efficient use of agri-nutrients

Agri-nutrients are a part of the solution to global food security. Therefore, the industry must do everything practical to ensure agri-nutrients are used responsibly and efficiently, said Samir Al-Abdrabbuh, SABIC’s Executive Vice President Agri-Nutrients and Vice-Chair of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association’s (GPCA) Agri-Nutrients Committee.

In a welcome address to the 11th edition of the two-day (September 15-16) GPCA Agri-Nutrients Conference held virtually under the theme ‘Forging New Avenues for a Food Secure Future,’ he said, “Innovation toward high-efficiency agri-nutrients, such as controlled release and water-soluble fertilizers, digitalization, and advanced farming techniques are helping the industry become more effective and sustainable.”

The conference took place in the backdrop of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about several disruptions, including threatening food security and nutrition globally.

Border closures, forced quarantines, and lockdowns made countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, embrace a multi-faceted value chain approach and leverage innovation and modern technology to make the food systems more robust, resilient, and sustainable.

The GCC has plentiful agri-nutrients raw materials like natural gas, phosphorous rock, and sulfur. During the pandemic, the supply of agri-nutrient products from GCC to customers globally remained unhindered.

SABIC, a diamond agri-nutrients partner of the conference, offers differentiated complete solutions and calls for downstream vertical integration to move closer to the customers and broaden its product and services.

In his address, Abdrabbuh emphasized the need for collaboration to develop the next-gen agri-nutrients designed to boost key nutrients in plants and prepare us for the next era of disruption.

The 11th edition of the GPCA Agri-Nutrients Conference showcased new avenues of growth to attain food security, innovative technologies to transform the agri-food chain and explored the latest breakthroughs in the agri-nutrients industry.