Expo 2020 Dubai issued a global call to promote human health and well-being
Ain Expo.. Pioneering Emirati Efforts to End Hunger in the World
The agenda included interviews with "food experts".
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The UAE has strengthened its strategic partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through two agreements on the project “Hand in Hand Zimbabwe - Project for the Restoration and Integration of Agricultural Businesses for Smallholder Farmers”, and the renewal of the trust fund for the sub-regional office of the “FAO” for the countries of the Cooperation Council. For the Arab Gulf states and Yemen «SNG».
This comes on the sidelines of the celebration of World Food Day, which was held yesterday at Expo 2020 Dubai, as part of the UAE's pioneering efforts to enhance global food security, improve nutrition systems and food production, and contribute to eradicating hunger in the world.
The celebration of "World Food Day" was launched under the slogan "Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life." » and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The program of events included an opening ceremony, a series of activities to promote awareness about food, and other events that sought to engage the public and specialists in interactive dialogues to raise awareness of the importance of the food file and its role in the future of humanity.
The events began with a series of activities directed to the public, with the participation of a group of food experts from different countries of the world, where the activities witnessed a call for global solidarity to rethink food systems and re-design them in line with the sustainable development goals, in order to ensure a healthy life and a planet healthy.
The idea of celebrating World Food Day is based on the need for humanity to unite to transform old food systems and consumption patterns into food systems that enhance human health and well-being, and have a safe impact on the environment, while providing food at prices that suit everyone.
Expo 2020 Dubai represents the ideal platform to host World Food Day, as it aligns with the essence of the event and its most important objectives, which are to ensure that everyone is involved in an integrated development system for a better future for all.
"We are pleased to take Expo 2020 Dubai as a platform to deliver our message to the global audience participating in the event," said Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Maryam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi.
She stressed that the leadership in the country is working to implement pioneering efforts and innovative solutions to ensure food security for all, recognizing its fundamental pillar of sustainable development.
She added: “Our efforts are based on solid foundations, including the principle of ensuring that everyone is included as we strive to achieve our goals, and one of these goals is to transform the UAE into a leading global center in the field of food security based on innovation.
This ambition is an integrated approach to work in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.”
For her part, the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, Gerda Verburg, said that the World Food Day celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai come at an ideal time, as a result of the massive and unprecedented momentum of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021. , which will bring together the top players in this field.
The celebration and discussions will also help in exchanging experiences and linking several vital issues such as nutrition, climate, human dignity and prosperity, and opinions will turn into qualitative ideas and solutions implemented in innovative ways led by countries and seeking to implement them efficiently and effectively.
She pointed out that "this achievement will benefit both people and the planet with many solutions driven by countries and societies themselves, and will enjoy the support of global alliances, and this development represents a major step forward in order to implement all 17 sustainable development goals, ensuring the participation of all."
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations at the Food Systems Summit, Agnes Kalibata, considered that World Food Day is “a reflection of the success achieved at the Summit of Food Systems and a starting point towards implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, in addition to bringing about a complete transformation of food systems. Hard work is just the beginning, and it ensures a better future for present and future generations, and it will all come in handy if the world seizes the opportunity and successfully transforms food systems for the better.”
The Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, Abdelhakim El-Waer, said that agricultural food systems in the region “fail to provide affordable, diversified, nutritious and safe food for all, which exacerbates the situation, and for this reason (FAO) is in control. The spotlight during the World Food Day, which takes place at the Expo, on finding innovative ways and models for international development cooperation that go beyond the transactional approach, to achieve the transition to more efficient, comprehensive and resilient agricultural food systems, and to achieve sustainable agricultural food systems for better production, better nutrition, and a better environment. A better life, and leaving no one behind.”
The World Food Day agenda continued with the “Focus on the Community” program, which witnessed interactive sessions in which guests participated, and the topics discussed reflected the main slogan of World Food Day “Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and a Better Life.”
The agenda also included dialogues with “food experts” who contribute to transforming food systems and working to ensure the availability of food despite challenges, in addition to live cooking demonstrations, and panel discussions on actions that the public can take to participate in a diet based on modern agriculture, a system that provides Healthy food adopts more sustainable consumption patterns, and reduces food waste.
World Food Day is one of the most celebrated occasions by the United Nations, as on October 16 of each year, more than 150 countries gather to celebrate this occasion in an attempt to promote awareness about the exacerbation of hunger, and to appreciate the basic needs of humanity, represented in food. A call to action for the second UN Sustainable Development Goal - Zero Hunger - which urges ending hunger, creating sustainable food systems, and promoting healthy diets for all.
Gerda Verburg:
• “The World Food Day celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai come at the perfect timing.”
Agnes Kalibata:
• “Hard work is just the beginning, and it guarantees a better future for present and future generations.”
letter of intent
As part of the World Food Day celebrations, the UAE signed a joint letter of intent comprising the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, the Emirates Nature Society, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), reinforcing its efforts to adopt healthy diets from healthy diets. Sustainable food for the benefit of community members and efforts to preserve the environment and the national economy.
Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Maryam Al Muhairi, said, “Improving nutrition systems is one of the most important pillars of the national strategy for food security in the UAE, and plays a vital role in strengthening the entire food system in the country.
It also has a significant impact on community development and health promotion, and has many economic benefits that cannot be counted.”
For his part, the Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, said: “The letter of intent will enable us to study opportunities that support our endeavors to promote community health through proper and healthy nutrition, which is a solid foundation for protecting the community from various diseases that have emerged. as a result of unhealthy eating patterns.
“Failure to change our diet will have major impacts on our health and the health of our planet, so if we want to achieve diets that protect nature, while ensuring that everyone gets enough nutritious and healthy food, we need a level Unprecedented cooperation for an urgent transition to sustainable food systems so that we can meet global and local challenges.