DUBAI: The UAE is helping young people improve food security through innovation and entrepreneurship, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri told the World Food Forum.

“Through developing the capacities of our young people and equipping them with the skills to venture into entrepreneurship and innovation, we are empowering them to take charge of the future of our food systems,” Almheiri said, according to Emirates News Agency.

The WFF, which ran from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21 at UN Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, brought together government officials, youth champions, global influencers and nonprofit organizations to support youth-led agriculture and food system transformations.

Under the theme “Healthy Diets, Healthy Planet,” this year’s forum aimed to raise youth awareness about the links between climate change and access to safe and nutritious food, and healthy diets, with the goal of sparking action.

Almheiri said: “With food prices skyrocketing worldwide and millions of people going to bed hungry every night, we all have a responsibility to build more resilient, sustainable food systems. We must achieve a complete paradigm shift in the way we produce and consume food to provide adequate nutrition for the global population while preserving our environment for the next generations.

“In addition, we must involve young people in decision-and policy-making and in events such as this one because we should not be designing their future alone — they must be part of the dialogue.”

The UAE minister met with several high-level FAO officials on the sidelines of the forum, including Director-General Qu Dongyu, Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo, Chief Economist Maximo Torero and UN Food Systems Coordination Hub Head Stefanos Fotiou. The discussions centered on the UAE’s contribution to addressing global food and nutrition insecurity.

Almheiri also met with Gabriel Ferrero de Loma-Osorio, chairperson of the World Food Security Committee, to discuss ways to promote the adoption of healthy diets based on sustainable food systems.

The UAE is a global leader in food security. The country is a member of the Coalition of Action for Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems, the Coalition on Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Food Systems, and the School Meals Coalition.