Chefs are agents of change in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and play an important role in inspiring people around the world to back sustainable food production, adopt healthy diets and avoid food waste, the United Nations said on Friday.
That was the central message of an international symposium on Friday hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Government of France, during "Goût de France" week currently being held in Paris, FAO said in a statement.
"We have to educate and inspire people to adopt healthy diets," FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said.
"Gastronomy is more and more an area of great interest, and chefs are among the actors who can shape public opinion and influence consumers," da Silva added.
Unhealthy diets are the most significant cause of the global pandemic of obesity. More than 2 billion people are estimated to be overweight, including about 670 million people who are obese. The number of obese people in the world may soon eclipse the number of undernourished people, which is currently estimated at 821 million, according to FAO
"With obesity on the rise, our food systems must change from feeding people to nourishing them with healthy and nutritious food. All of these are important for the transformation we need in our food systems," Graziano da Silva said.
A growing number of chefs are promoting food linked to territory and local culture, and the consumption of local, fresh food. Chefs have also become increasingly involved in the global movement to reduce food waste, championing food waste reduction efforts in their own restaurants, as well as empowering local communities to fight food waste, according to FAO.
Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO pointed out that food has throughout history been key to human society and to trade.
"Food is since the dawn of time, an essential dimension of human exchanges, a major economic activity, and the foundation of organization of societies," Azoulay said.
"This legacy is passed on from generation to generation and is shared as communities meet. It weaves ties at the level of a society and increases the intercultural curiosity between countries," she stated.
During the Paris event, UNESCO and FAO leaders unveiled a publication, 'Chefs as agents of change' which highlights the work done by both organizations in highlighting the role of chefs to promote healthy and culturally diversified diets, according to FAO's statement.
Didier Guillaume, the French Minister of Agriculture and Food, emphasized the importance of national food policies based on a positive approach to nutrition, and which takes into account the educational, social and cultural dimensions of food.
FAO and UNESCO are working together towards recognizing the importance of culture and heritage in achieving healthy diets and sustainable agriculture. They are also working on strategies to reinforce food and nutrition education in schools in many parts of the world.
