Minister of State for Food Security participates in World Food Summit

DUBAI, 4th September, 2018 (WAM) -- The importance of gastronomy in ensuring healthy eating was one of the main topics addressed by Mariam Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State for Food Security, at the World Food Summit 2018, which took place recently in Copenhagen, Denmark. Titled ‘Better Food for More People,’ this year’s summit saw the UAE minister join senior European and global dignitaries in the Danish capital to discuss pressing issues around food production and consumption. Taking part in a panel discussion ‘Zooming in on possible points of impact,’ Almheiri reviewed how applying basic gastronomy skills can be a tool to a higher level of food safety, with the concept being that a full understanding of food and ingredients makes it easier to make healthy choices. "Today, one in 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, with 420,000 dying every year. Gastronomy – or the knowledge on how to properly prepare, preserve and contain food - is fundamental to improving this. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight and of these, over 600 million were obese. By focusing on the quality of food we could expect to see an improvement in consumption habits and a reduction in health-related illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes," she added. Almheiri also discussed the issue of food waste during the session, with gastronomy playing an important role. The ability to cook seasonally or with local ingredients has been identified as something that can spare resources used in connection with production and transportation. She was also able to use the discussion to highlight the significant steps that the UAE has taken to ensure high quality, sustainable food production for its citizens. "The UAE has made great strides in ensuring food security as a national priority. Among the mechanisms we have set in-place are a national committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); the development of an innovative ‘sustainable agriculture label’ to promote high quality products produced sustainably using AgTech (agricultural technology); the development of a UAE standard on food product nutrition signs and the establishment of a government accelerator programme to overcome obstacles that hinder the progress of urban farming applications. These, along with our other programmes, are all aimed at creating a cultural movement that values food, strengthens our relationship with it and inculcates a better understanding of our food needs as a society moving forwards," added Mariam Almheiri. The panel discussion was attended by HRH Princess Marie of Denmark and ministers of agriculture from governments around the world. On the sidelines of the summit, the UAE minister met with Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, Danish Minister for Environment and Food, and undertook a number of site visits to sustainable food production facilities in and around the Danish capital.