Feeding the World at Gulfood 2023 towards a Sustainable Food Future

I was at Al Mutaqua (conference hall) during Dubai's?Gulfood 2023,?where honest dialogues and conversations about "food" happen. The hall was half bare, always half empty.

This year's most prominent live, in-person food and beverage sourcing event recently concluded. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe came together to participate in the event and discuss ways to accelerate re-connection with the global food and business community. With 21 halls showcasing various products from 100 countries, Gulfood 2023 presented a unique opportunity for attendees to network with global leaders, do business and engage in meaningful conversations about the global food industry's challenges. It was very successful.

But let us delve deeper into the core purpose of Gulfood and its significance in shaping the future of the food and beverage industry. Though always half bare, the?Gulfood Inspire?hall or the Al Mutaqua (conference hall) was the most educational, enlightening, and meaningful on why food matters.

The world is facing a crisis. A crisis that threatens the very foundations of our global community and can cause irreparable damage to our planet and the people who inhabit it. This crisis is not a natural disaster, nor is it the result of war or conflict. This crisis is something that we have brought upon ourselves. It is a crisis of food.

All 21 halls were filled with food from floor to ceiling from exhibitors selling their business, with visitors indulging in what they offer. Even with a five-day pass, you cannot see them all.

It is a bit cynical, perhaps, to think if everyone in those 21 halls day by day, in the middle of all the chaos on the Gulfood exhibition floor, is truly aware of the global food challenges happening simultaneously as the event goes on, and will still occur as the event ends.

The world is facing a critical problem: hunger. This problem is familiar; it has been around for decades, and leaders have promised to solve it, but their efforts have fallen short. Millions still suffer from hunger and malnutrition despite producing more than enough food to feed everyone.

Back in 1974, at the World Food Congress in Rome, Henry Kissinger declared that no child would go to bed hungry within a decade. Unfortunately, his prediction did not come true, and the following decades marked only slow progress against hunger. Almost 50 years later, the problem has become even worse. Ending hunger is a losing fight.

We must confront the stark reality that we must do more to ensure everyone has access to healthy and sustainable food. Despite producing enough food to feed every person on the planet, we still fail to provide for the 3.1 billion people who cannot afford food.

3.1 billion people cannot afford food. This is a tragedy of epic proportions and a fight that we have been losing for far too long.

But why is this the case? There is already enough food to feed everyone; those going hungry just lack access.

It is because of waste and unequal distribution. We produce tons of food yearly, yet people still starve because of food waste and unequal distribution. In many rich nations, consumers fail to plan their purchases correctly and buy more than they need, leading to waste. On the other hand, in poorer countries, people do not have access to the food they need due to unequal distribution.

But the challenges we face are not insurmountable. We can overcome them if we work together and take meaningful action to address the root causes of this crisis. We must confront the challenges of climate change, sustainability, and food security head-on. We must invest in longer-term solutions to help us build more resilient food systems capable of weathering any storm.

Reducing food loss and waste is one key area where we can make a significant impact. Close to a third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted at some point in the food supply chain. This loss is enough to feed about 1.26 billion people a year. But it's not just about fighting hunger. Limiting food loss and waste can also reduce environmental harm and promote sustainability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the challenges we face. It has wiped out two decades of progress in combating extreme poverty and hunger, pushing hundreds of millions more people into chronic hunger. It's time for us to fast-track efforts to invest in longer-term solutions to break the endless cycle of food insecurity. Technology can certainly help with that.

We need more sustainable and resilient practices in the food industry, including reducing inorganic manure use, less food loss and waste, and a shift towards more climate-compatible, healthy, predominantly plant-based diets. The UAE has already made significant strides in this area, with an increase in the availability of locally grown and plant-based options and the implementation of zero waste strategies like ne'ma. But we must do more, particularly in reducing food waste in wealthy nations where consumers fail to plan purchases properly and buy more than they need.

The stakes could not be higher. The UAE aims to reach a 50% decrease in food wastage by 2030, and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 2 is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030. These ambitious goals are achievable if we all work together toward a more sustainable future. Everyone who came must use Gulfood 2023 to take meaningful action toward food sustainability and ensure that the fight against hunger continues long after 2030, even in your little ways.

To all exhibitors and visitors, governments, and stakeholders, Gulfood 2023 was an opportunity to take meaningful action toward food sustainability and ensure the fight against hunger continues. We cannot keep saying "never again" unless we are prepared to change how we respond.

Changes in agricultural practices, consumption patterns, and waste reduction strategies - the United Arab Emirates is leading the way by increasing the availability of locally grown and plant-based options and implementing a zero-waste plan. But this is just a small step towards solving a global problem.

There must be an intensification of agricultural practices, stop the exploitation of soils for profit and cheap exports, and no excessive consumption of resource-intensive animal products. These unsustainable practices harm the environment and threaten food security, making it even harder to end hunger.

Leaders need to come together and take action to address this critical issue. This requires a coordinated effort to reduce waste, improve distribution, and promote sustainable agriculture practices. It's time for us to work together to end hunger and create a more equitable and sustainable world for everyone.

As UAE prepares to host the?28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change?(COP28) in November this year at Expo City Dubai, it will be the nation's most important event in 2023, and it will tackle the global food crisis. Gulfood 2023 served as a critical opportunity to convene the global F&B industry and continue the shift towards more sustainable food production and consumption.

Let us remember the gravity of the crisis we face. But let us also not lose hope. We can overcome these challenges if we work together, take action, and always maintain sight of the urgency of this issue. Together, we can create a world where everyone can access healthy, sustainable food and where hunger is a fight we never want to lose.

I pray that the halls of COP28 this November will not be half bare, not half empty - or Gulfood Inspire Hall 2024 will be full.

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