Blazing the INNOV-EAT trail: Unleashing BOLD Innovations in motion – WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
Descending into the COP28 Chasm
COP28 UAE certainly created a chasm! I'm still descending and unpacking all the incredible moments and outcomes from the event, but one day stands out. This was my second COP, and I was thrilled to be a speaker on the inaugural Food and Agriculture Day.
Blazing the Innov-Eat Trail
My session took place at the DP World pavilion and was hosted by Clim-Eat and the Bezos Earth Fund. The event title was: Blazing the INNOV-EAT trail: Unleashing BOLD Innovations in motion – WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
The atmosphere was a breath of fresh air—fun, dynamic, and full of bold surprises (including detectives and wizards!). Dr. Dhanush Dinesh, Andy Jarvis, and Lini Wollenberg expertly moderated all the sessions with tremendous flair.
"True Confessions from the Dragon's"
I was joined by Katy Hartley of the Laudes Foundation for a dynamic segment called “True Confessions from the Dragon’s.” This part was inspired by Jimmy Fallon’s ‘True Confessions’ gameshow. We were presented with three envelopes, each containing a bold agricultural innovation, and tasked with assessing its promise and potential steps for implementation:
Animal Feed that curbs methane emissions in ruminants.
Restorative Cereals with nitrogen-fixing properties.
GMO Applications for carbon sequestration.
Food Futurists and Forward Steps
Following our segment, the Food Futurists panel took the stage. Luke Tay (Cornucopia FutureScapes), Felicitas Röhrig (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)), Ishmael Sunga (SACAU), and Soojin Kim (Climate Works Foundation) discussed what bold innovations mean for our future generations, focusing on the impact on farmers, consumers, policy, and investment.
Gratitude and Closing Thoughts
A massive thank you to Dr. Dhanush Dinesh, Ratih Septivita, and the entire Clim-Eat team for the months of coordination and for bringing us all together for this vital conversation.
If the session wasn't special enough, two of my countrymen, Dr. Yehya Al-Hadban and Othman Al-Jiran, came all the way to attend my talk—a truly meaningful personal highlight.
To all the innovators, my closing mantra remains: Stay ‘Annoyingly Disruptive. Boldly Constructive’.
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