Paul Polman, Ken Goldberg and John Elkington discuss food sovereignty at Gulfood Manufacturing 2026

Ahead of the session, Polman noted that food security is not only about how to produce more food, but also about how to build a food system that is resilient, affordable and sustainable for the longer term. “For the Gulf region, this is especially important. With limited natural resources and growing demand, the choices we make today about investments, technology and supply chains will shape the region’s food future,” he said.

Goldberg believes artificial intelligence and robotics will make food manufacturing more productive, adaptable and resilient. “But the real question is how we are going to move beyond the existing experiments in research labs to technologies that solve real problems for real people,” he stressed.

Elkington, who originated the Triple Bottom Line concept, said every food system on earth is now being stress-tested by climate, conflict and disruptions in global supply chains. “The winners in food manufacturing will not simply be those who produce more food, but those who produce it differently,” he said.

Gulfood Manufacturing 2026 runs from November 3 to 5 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), co-located with GulfHost, ISM Middle East and Private Label Middle East. According to the organisers, the four exhibitions bring together 2,500 exhibitors from 79 countries across 21 halls.