More than 50 of the world's experts, food specialists and business leaders from all sectors of the food and beverage industry will come together in Dubai for the Gulfood 2013 Conferences opening today.

The conferences will run until Thursday at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), alongside Gulfood, an annual trade show for the food and hospitality industry, said a report in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

"As global trends and developments continue to drive consumer demand across the food, beverage and hospitality sectors, it has become essential for regional food professionals and entrepreneurs to stay updated," DWTC senior vice-president Trixee Loh said.

"Gulfood conferences will address the latest trends, critical issues and opportunities impacting various sectors of the industry through panel discussions, presentations, workshops and case studies," she said.

Key issues and commercial drivers that impact strategic decision-making, factors shaping the future of the food industry, presentations on the role of the private sector in food security, food consumption and sustainability and the implications of being a big business will be covered.

"In a world where trends in food consumption are shifting, populations are growing, and resources are finite, we as a snack powerhouse need to ensure sustenance in our products and fight shortages, both now and in the future," Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods) Middle East managing director Vishal Tikku said.

"This cannot be achieved without the co-operation, transparency and active participation of all stakeholders."

A series of panel discussions involving business leaders will address pressing issues such as balancing quality and quantity in food processing, the role of packaging specialists in tackling food waste and, cost management through strategic planning. – TradeArabia News Service