World Food Forum calls for less food waste, support for young chefs

ROME, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Forum (WFF) on Tuesday announced a week of activities in restaurants worldwide, as part of the United Nations' "Sustainable Gastronomy Day", aimed at encouraging youth to reduce food waste.

Named "Sustainable Gastronomy Restaurant Week" (SGRW), the one-week event is the first of its kind, built upon the theme of "More Taste, Less Waste". The SGRW partnered with restaurants owned by young chefs to create a co-branded menu or items for the campaign. These dishes use fresh, seasonal ingredients and follow culinary guidelines to help reduce food waste and emissions.

According to the WFF, around 17 percent of food is wasted at the retail and consumer levels. Sustainable gastronomy aims to avoid waste as well as any harm to our natural resources. True sustainable cooking can be practiced without being detrimental to our environment or health.

At the launch event, Lindsey Hook, Head of Culture at the WFF, said that the campaign is to inspire all those involved in the agrifood system, including consumers, to make better choices about food production and consumption. "It aims to highlight the leadership role of youth as chefs and entrepreneurs in sustainable gastronomy," said Hook.

"Young innovative chefs worldwide, like young farmers, are underestimated and not visible to the public enough," Glindys Virginia Luciano, an expert from the European organization EIT Food, told Xinhua. "It is important to support them in making contributions to sustainable development."

Launched in 2021, WFF is an independent global network of partners, facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Sustainable Gastronomy Day, celebrated every year on June 18 since 2017, was introduced by the FAO and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote food security, agricultural development, sustainable food production, nutrition and the conservation of biodiversity. ■