The inaugural Global Food Security Summit (GFSS) was launched in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, gathering scientists, tech pioneers, and other industry representatives to offer innovative and cooperative solutions to help address world hunger and promote sustainable development.
The three-day event is being co-hosted through a strategic partnership between the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) Group and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority.
According to a joint report released this year by five United Nations agencies, approximately 733 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2023, which means one in every 11 people globally went without sufficient food. The situation is more stark in Africa, where one in every five people struggled to get enough to eat, the report said.
In 2024, in the 71 countries where the UN World Food Programme operates and has available data, as many as 309 million people are facing acute food insecurity.
The GFSS provides an international platform to discuss these challenges and explore opportunities to enhance food security, with over 600 delegates attending and more than 80 speakers sharing their insights.
Meanwhile, the event also focuses on exploring innovative and pragmatic ways to boost long-term sustainability and many exhibitors are on-site to showcase their innovations, including one which places an emphasis on being more green and recycling discarded food items to create new products.
"In the future of kitchen, we don't have waste. What we have is different technology that can transform waste into new materials. Here we have the ritual of oysters. At the end, we have the shell as a result of the experience. This is the leftovers that we crush and we transform it with different organic materials into 3D filament," said Ignacio de Juan-Creix, head of the Future Food Museum at a food exhibition on the sidelines of the event.
Inaugural Global Food Security Summit launched in Abu Dhabi
Inaugural Global Food Security Summit launched in Abu Dhabi
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
