When the Minister for Environment and Food on 26 August hosts the international food summit ’Better Food for More People’ at the Danish Parliament Christiansborg it will be attended by politicians, CEO’s and frontrunners from all over the world. The summit will take place the same week Copenhagen Cooking and Food Festival is taking place in Copenhagen, where thousands of ‘foodies’ are visiting the city.
- I am looking forward to welcoming the invites who are attending from different parts of the world. They are all committed and have accepted the challenge to ensure better food for more people in the cities. The cities are growing and thereby are putting pressure on and challenging not only the demand for food safety, reduction of food waste and the conversation we are having about food. But also strengthens the demand for good, tasty, traditional food and food that is telling a story. With the food summit we intend to create a Davos within food in Copenhagen, says Esben Lunde Larsen.
Gastronomy is part of the toolbox.
As the cities grow, new global trends that affect the production of food emerge. Focus is shifting from the uniform production that depends on stability of taste, colors and consistency to a more diverse expressed production with individual choices, diversity and eating experiences.
Four themes will evaluate gastronomy as a key factor in new food-solutions: 1) new information that can ensure urban people who do not live close to where food is produced sufficient and useful knowledge about the food they eat, 2) more safe food that can avoid illness and ensure close cooperation between the industry and the food safety authorities, 3) the impacts of the gastronomy when creating better food for more people whether they are eating outside or at home and 4) the limitation of food waste through an effective use of the resources.
At the summit the term “The Big Kitchen” is introduced as a metaphor for all the food which is achieved, prepared and served in the city kitchens - at restaurants, workplaces, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, industries, grocery stores and private homes – where gastronomy will be able to function as a driver in order to ensure better food for more people.
Strong profiles .
Approx. 100 participants will be attending the the minister’s summit. The people attending have very different qualifications and have all committed themselves to the summit agenda: Better Food for More People.
From the political scene vice ministers and mayors, for instance Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the US Department of Agriculture and City councillor for Courbevoie, Paris, Arash Derambash.
From the business world Luca Mignini, President for Global Biscuits and Snacks from Campbell Soup Company and Peder Tuborgh, CEO at Arla Foods will attend the summit.
Several of the gastronomic frontrunners are coming a long way, for instance participants from China, Dong Zhenxiang, who is head chef and founder of a big chain of restaurants in Beijing. Attending from China is also Yoyo Sun who has a food blog with more than 5 million followers.
- With this spectrum of committed politicians, business leaders, chefs and bloggers I hope that we will identify a number of recommendations and actions across national practices and good examples that will ensure better food in the cities. It is also my ambition that we commit each other to initiate actions at the end of the summit so that words are brought into action, Esben Lunde Larsen says.
Published 13. July 2016
