Twenty major NGOs are set to take part at the upcoming Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture in Abu Dhabi.

The forum, which will run from February 3 to 5, aims at bringing together the best ideas, top international experts and key policy-makers from the public, private and non-profit sectors.

The participating organisations, which represent over $4 billion of development fund represented at the forum, include the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation; CGIAR, a global partnership of 15 organisations engaged in research for a food secure future; and the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of private, international, non-denominational development agencies.

The NGO’s come together with a specific local and regional focus in sustainable agriculture projects across the Mena region and Sub-Saharan Africa.

They will seek to ensure that the technologies showcased at GFIA can be put to practical use increasing agricultural productivity in developing countries.

Some of the other NGOs include specialists like Acumen, One Acre Fund and Mercy Corps, all taking part in GFIA with papers at the conference as well as a presence in the NGO Zone.

Acumen helps to build financially sustainable organizations that deliver affordable goods and services that improve the lives of the poor, while One Acre Fund invests in farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi, offering a comprehensive “market in a box” solution that includes microloans, training and harvest sales.

Mercy Corps’ Agri-Fin Mobile service uses mobile technology to provide small-scale farmers with localised financial services, market information and agricultural expertise.

Mark Beaumont, GFIA Project Director, said: “NGOs are crucially important to the development of agriculture, especially in developing areas. All three sectors – public, private and non-profit - will have to work together if we are to be able to feed nine billion people by 2050.

“That will require unprecedented levels of sharing of best practices and pooling of resources. GFIA is a vital platform for this interaction and collaboration.” - TradeArabia News Service