More outstanding news will be in store as IPACK-IMA announces the presence of UNIDO director-general, Kandeh K. Yumkella, at the upcoming edition of the exhibition. He accepted the organizers' invitation to hold the opening speech to the international convention titled PACKAGING TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE FOOD SAFETY AND FOOD SECURITY IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES, staged with the cooperation of experts from UNIDO, WFP, FAO and IFAD and set to be one of the key events held during IPACK-IMA's 2012 edition.
UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) is a UN agency specializing in promoting sustainable industrial development in emerging countries and transition economies. It also deals with environmental protection through the use of eco-friendly technology.
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Mr. Yumkella, over many years of activity in primary offices within the UN, has repeatedly stated his belief that the most effective strategy in the fight against poverty lies in supporting the productive capacity of a country and its population, increasing their access to cutting-edge technology and new trade opportunities and methods, particularly through the development of the agricultural industry.
The convention will host primary market players and specialists from Africa, who are directly involved in the issues discussed; they will be joined by delegates from every corner of the world, expected to number about one hundred at the next edition of IPACK-IMA. Owing to the great promotional effort carried out in the five continents and numerous presentations and participations in key trade events in all major global markets, the exhibition's renown has been further strengthened and the participations of official delegations from the BRIC area (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as well as Turkey, Argentina and USA is confirmed.
UNIDO and IPACK-IMA have been profitably working together for many years, leading to last year's agreement in which both sides commit to the support of technological development through the organization of events both in Italy and abroad to the end of ensuring food safety and fight world hunger.
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This common strategy aims at building awareness about the importance of the transfer of technology to emerging countries and will have its climax in the Expo 2015, whose main theme is "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life". As part of the project, in 2009 UNIDO ITPO Italy (the Italian branch of the agency) together with other UN agencies including FAO, IFAD and WFP and the Italian Ministries of Agriculture and Economic Development sponsored the international conference "More Technology, Less World Hunger" held during the last edition of IPACK-IMA.
"Technology leads to development and, as exemplified by the joint action of the UN, can also be a way to solve a problem of global size such as world hunger" – says Ipack-Ima Spa CEO Guido Corbella -. UNIDO and Ipack-Ima share the same ethical view on technological progress, which must be a growing, decisive source of economic and social added value".
Over 800 exhibitors, 25% from international markets, as early as seven months from the exhibition's opening testify to the growing interest in IPACK-IMA 2012. Participants include representatives of the entire global supply chain. The exhibition scenario is dominated by packaging machinery with 30%; processing machinery follows closely with 20%. There is also a significant display of consumer and industrial materials, adding up to 20%. The trend for the upcoming edition – the 22nd – is large exhibiting areas featuring working demo machinery and complete production lines. Once more, IPACK-IMA is set to be a great system exhibition, the benchmark event for technology and materials for processing, packaging and material handling in the European and Mediterranean market, on stage at FieraMilano from February 28th to March 3rd 2012.
