Food, water, energy top subjects at Qatar conference

Sixteen experts recently focused on problems associated with providing enough food, water and energy for the world's needs during the annual QAFCO – Texas A&M at Qatar Conference.

The Qatar Fertilizer Co. (QAFCO), which has supported the conference since 2007, worked with the university to host the event.
 
“We at Texas A&M at Qatar are proud to partner with industry collaborators such as QAFCO to help realize sustainable solutions to real-world issues and to encourage the exchange of knowledge, ideas and expertise that is essential to fuel innovation and new thinking,” Dr. César O. Malavé, dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, said. “The QAFCO – Texas A&M University at Qatar conference illustrates the importance of industry, academic and government partnerships in developing scientific solutions that have direct impact on the world around us.”
 
Participants discussed how population growth, climate change and technological developments are affecting the world's fresh water, food and energy resources. A technical program and sessions focusing on research and ideas from some of the world’s most respected voices in the field -- Michael Ladisch, professor at Purdue University (USA), and Fahad Al-Attiya, legal counsel for His Highness the Emir and the Qatar National Food Security Program -- were also offered.
 
"We believe that industries like ours have a crucial role to play in providing a helping hand to the farmers to help feed the world," Humoud Al-Mannai, chief technical officer of QAFCO, said. "Investments in research and technologies, as well as forums for knowledge sharing like this one, can be a big boost to these efforts.”