Berytech is organizing the fourth edition of the Agri-Food Innovation Days (AFID) 2023 on May 24 & 25 at Le Royal Hotel in Beirut. The event gathers agri-food leaders, corporates, entrepreneurs, startups, investors, researchers, and visionaries to network, learn, pitch, invest and discover agri-food innovations.

The two-day yearly stop is expecting more than 1,500 visitors and aims to bring forward Lebanese agri-food innovations in the sector, highlight local and regional challenges and increase ecosystem and industry partnerships.

#AFID2023 is organized in partnership with QOOT Cluster and co-funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lebanon and the ENI CBC MED program with the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). Ici Beyrouth and This is Beirut are its media partners.

More than 30 startups and SMEs

The event will host more than 30 startups and SMEs with the potential for growth and export, as it will dedicate a space for more than 15 business support programs working to support businesses in the agri-food sector. 

The event has a packed agenda of more than 30 speakers, and guests are invited to join the conversation on the sector’s most urgent topics on the evolution, strengths, and export potential of the Lebanese agri-food sector with exciting activities scheduled throughout the two days from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.  In parallel, Demo Sessions will feature a roster of startups pitching their solutions live for the very first time to the public.   

Commenting on the event, Ramy Boujawdeh, COO of Berytech, said that “Agri-Food Innovation Days continue, for the fourth year in a row, to welcome the various national and international entities currently engaged in sustaining, strengthening, and promoting the agrifood sector in Lebanon.”

He invited all visitors to discover the support programs present that were intentionally designed to propel startups and SMEs in the agrifood sector and encouraged them to meet the showcasing startups that have worked hard through these programs to build their products and business models to grow and scale their businesses.

While Berytech will be organizing closed matchmaking and brokerage activities for select startups and businesses participating in the event, the entire #AFID2023 event is designed to facilitate networking for visitors.

The event is specifically attracting regional and global buyers, trade delegations, and businesses to connect with exhibiting startups and SMEs and network with attending guests. The event has built a track record from its previous years of creating successful connections and invaluable partnerships, and aims to further multiply its impact in this edition and the ones to come.

Netherlands, a strong supporter

“I am proud that the Netherlands remains a strong supporter of the Lebanon Agri-Food Innovation Days,” Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lebanon Hans Peter van der Woude commented.

“This 4th edition sees many familiar and new faces and it is wonderful to see that through the partnership with Berytech, we have unlocked prospects for entrepreneurs in Lebanon. Creating clusters like QOOT serves as an example of the prospects that working together can unleash for Lebanese companies,” he went on to say.

“Food systems are fundamental to the economic and social discourse on a global scale. This is because of their impact on climate change and biodiversity loss, the sector’s economic, social, and cultural significance, and the impacts of nutrition on the well-being and health of individuals and societies. Moreover, food systems have a cross-cutting effect on the sustainable development goals, as they impact ostensibly unrelated goals such as ending poverty, achieving good health, and combating climate change,” Khaled El-Saadany, a senior expert at the Joint Technical Secretariat of the ENI CBC MED Program said. 

For the full agenda and to grab a free ticket, visit #AFID2023