Dubai, UAE: Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) has issued a press release stating that to mark the 25^th year of its existence, it had organised a panel discussion on August 23, 2016, at Gloria Hotel, Dubai, to delve deeper into the issue of sustainable consumption and production of food.

According to the release, the UNEP Regional Office in Bahrain was represented by its Senior Sustainable Consumption and Production Officer, Fareed Bushehri, who stimulated the audience with a discussion on the current pressing environmental realities, such as increasing global temperature, rising consumerism, diminishing resources and an ever-growing population. “The total impact and consumption,” he explained, “are worked out by measuring the average per person multiplied by the number of people,” and added that, therefore, “all environmental (and many economic and social) problems are easier to solve with fewer people, and ultimately impossible with ever more”.

Bushehri, the release said, highlighted the need for businesses to understand the implications of such trends and account for them in their planning and business strategy, using long-term planning, to put them at a competitive advantage. Conversely, the release said, he commented that companies that fail to understand the changes, or that act too slowly, will put the value at risk. The release added that Bushehri provided tangible solutions to the problem, including to protect already sustainable practices and shift social context shaping consumer behaviour, in other words, “to do more with less”.

The release revealed that Dr Essam Elhashimi, Head of Food Studies Expert at Dubai Municipality, was another panel speaker who highlighted that we have come to be mega food wasters and, emphasised on the need to prevent food wastage by tackling it at the source, through trade partnerships with exporting countries, and knowledge-sharing with relevant authorities and personnel involved in export of food. The press release added that he also suggested a solution of possibly restricting serving sizes at food outlets by law.

Shamma Mohamed Abdulla Al Falasi, Environmental Educator at The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, presented a video on the Sustainability and Lifestyle initiative, underlining the importance to educate youth and interlink the efforts of all sectors of society in line with the UAE Vision 2021, informed the release.

The release added that the event concluded with the Chairperson of EEG, Habiba Al Marashi, summarising that the core of sustainable consumption and production (of food) is in responsible behaviour from all stakeholders.