Agricultural Adaptation: Building Climate-Resilient Food Systems Through R&D and Collaboration

09 Dec 2025
Auditorium
Main Stage
  • Where should R&D investment be prioritised to build resilient agricultural systems for extreme heat, saltwater and degraded soils? Which innovations have shown the most promise so far – and what technical or financial risks must be managed?
  • How can knowledge, technology and business models be effectively transferred between regions facing similar climate and soil challenges? What role can governments, investors, research institutions and capacity-builders play in overcoming fragmentation and scaling solutions?
  • What’s needed to reduce dependence on imported inputs and catalyse local innovation in seed, crop and soil science? How can public and private R&D better align to deliver context-specific, high-performing solutions?
  • Which policy reforms are critical to protect local producers, strengthen value chains, and attract long-term private sector investment?
Chairperson
Roger Rabbat
Roger Rabbat, Partner - STRATEGY& MIDDLE EAST
Speakers
Ian Campbell
Ian Campbell, VP of Innovation & Economic Development - KAUST
Rania Abou Samra
Rania Abou Samra, Head of R&D and Innovation - NESTLÉ MENA
Dinesh Chauhan
Dinesh Chauhan, CEO & Head of Agribusiness and Innovation Platform - ICRISAT
Alex Berkovskiy
Alex Berkovskiy, President AMEA - SYNGENTA
Afkar Qasem Salman Hilles
Afkar Qasem Salman Hilles, Food Security Director - ADAFSA