Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, minister of climate change and the environment, said at the World Food Forum that the UAE is assisting young people in improving food security through innovation and entrepreneurship.
"We are empowering our young people to take control of the future of our food systems by developing their capacities and giving them the tools to foray into entrepreneurship and innovation," Almheiri stated.
The World Food Forum, which took place in Rome at the headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, brought together government representatives, youth champions, influential people from around the world, and nonprofit organisations to support youth-led changes in agriculture and the food system.
This year's forum, with the subject "Good Diets, Healthy Planet," sought to increase young knowledge of the connections between climate change and access to healthy diets and safe and nourishing food.
We all have a responsibility to create more resilient, sustainable food systems, according to Almheiri, who noted that food costs are soaring globally and that millions of people go to bed hungry every night. To ensure appropriate nutrition for the world's population while protecting the environment for future generations, we must completely rethink how we produce and consume food.
Furthermore, young people must be included in decision and policy-making as well as activities like this one since we shouldn't be planning their future without them; they must participate in the conversation.
On the outskirts of the event, the UAE minister met with a number of senior FAO representatives, including Director-General Qu Dongyu, Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo, Chief Economist Maximo Torero, and Stefanos Fotiou, head of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. The conversation mostly focused on how the UAE is helping to combat global hunger and malnutrition.
In order to explore how to encourage people to embrace healthier diets based on sustainable food systems, Almheiri also met with Gabriel Ferrero de Loma-Osorio, the head of the World Food Security Committee.
UAE is a world leader in ensuring food security. The nation is a part of the School Meals Coalition, the Coalition on Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Food Systems, and the Coalition of Action for Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems.
Congratulation!