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The business of nutrition and security. Conference 28 August, The Netherlands

by FoodFIRST·Aug 3, 2012·0 comments

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FoodFirst-Floriade conference

Tuesday, 28 August 2012 | H. 13:30-17:00 | Innovatoren, Floriade, Venlo, The Netherlands

Programme | Registration

Today, one billion people go to bed hungry every day and another billion people suffer from so called ‘hidden hunger’. They lack essential vitamins and minerals in their diet such as iron and vitamin A. Good nutrition is crucial for normal physical and mental development of children and defines their opportunities in later life. Companies and scientists in the field of micronutrients are developing auspicious innovations such as food fortification. The Netherlands in particular, world-leader in the food sector, has developed and implemented different initiatives with local partners in developing countries to tackle malnutrition. On the 28th, international and national experts and key players in the field of food and nutrition will share their views and experiences on the link between knowledge and innovations in the food sector. What can businesses, policy makers, civil society organizations, and scientists deliver to reinforce food and nutrient security for the billions of people who lack access to food and livelihoods? The event will be chaired by Mr Paulus Verschuren, special advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and expert in the field of nutrition security.

As a special surprise the participants of the foodFirst conference will be offered a small treat developed by Too Good To Waste. This enthusiastic group won NCDO’s Battle of the Cheetahs, a competition aimed at challenging young professionals to come up with smart ideas for global food issues. At the Floriade a movie will be showed presenting their first recycled food product: gazpacho made with overripe tomatoes. Watch the movie trailer

Group member Chantal Engelen - interviewed by foodFIRST coordinator Inge Jansen - explains the idea behind this product.

Q: In what way can your initiative contribute to food sustainability?

A: Waste is a serious issue for the food system. We waste up to 50% of the food we produce worldwide. Production cost a lot of money, water and other resources. By reducing this waste, serious immediate gains can be achieved.

Q: What is the biggest lesson learnt for Dutch food consumers?

A: We try to make consumers more aware of the fact that perfectly good food is wasted. Not in the last place by themselves. We try to let them see the value of food.

Q: Do you think people are keen to eat recycled food? How do you plan to change their mind-set?

A: Our products are not recycled. The ingredients we use are high quality products. They only might not look perfect. They are too big or have a weird shape. Or they are ripe. This makes the product only better! We do want to make clear that these products would become waste, but are not waste yet.

Photo: Pocious/flickr

View the discussion thread.

about the author

FoodFIRST is a coalition of Dutch and international organizations whose aim is to put food and agriculture issues at the heart of the political debate from the angle of the new global realities and scarcity, and new claims and demographic trends.

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