Focus on India at Save Food Congress during Interpack 2017
As usual, Interpack 2017, which begins in Dusseldorf, Germany, from 4 May, will have everything packaging. If you are visiting Interpack this year, and if you are in the food packaging business, it would be a great idea to stop by at the third edition of Save Food Congress, held as part of Interpack 2017. For one thing, a great chunk of the conference will focus on India. In general, the event will pursue a multi-dimensional approach to fight food waste, featuring speakers from political circles
01 May 2017 | 4868 Views | By Dibyajyoti Sarma
The day-long event, to be held on 4 May will also focus on food packaging and processing in India.
In its sixth year, the Initiative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and Messe Düsseldorf has more than 850 members from industry, associations, research institutes and NGOs.
The opening speeches will be presented by Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president and CEO, Messe Düsseldorf, and Kostas G Stamoulis, deputy director general of the economic and social development department of the FAO. In his talk, Stamoulis will deal with the challenges of global nutrition in the 21st century. After that, he and Dornscheidt will sign a Memorandum of Understanding about the further collaboration of FAO and Messe Düsseldorf as key partners of the Save Food initiative.
After that, the focus will be on the Indian subcontinent. Gargi Kaul, joint secretary and financial adviser in the Indian Ministry of Food Processing Industries, will speak on the future of food processing in India.
The next conference session will address specific local conditions. Robert van Otterdijk, Agro-Industry Officer in the Nutrition and Food Systems Division at the FAO will share the results of a field study in India funded by the Save Food initiative. This will shed some light on the mechanisms and root causes of the loss of specific basic foodstuffs on the Asian subcontinent.
Marc Zander, CEO of africon GmbH and Tei Mukunya, CEO of Azuri Health will report on the state of affairs in the mango project launched by the Save Food initiative in Kenya. Christian Traumann, managing director at Multivac will then look at the role that innovative packaging concepts play in avoiding food losses across the supply chain and on the part of consumers.
In the second session of the congress, the speakers will look beyond their own backyards and deal with food waste and losses in the context of global issues of the future as well as of industry and retail. Prajal Pradhan from the Research Area Climate Impact and Vulnerability at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research will highlight the effects food waste and losses with respect to global climate. Vinita Bali, chairman of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition will talk about global future issues and Gerald Rebitzer, sustainability director at Amcor Flexibles will present the special involvement of his company. Johannes Bergmair of the World Packaging Organisation will describe the correlation between packaging design and Save Food.
Meanwhile, for the entire duration of Interpack, from 4 to 10 May, visitors will be able to find out about concrete solutions and approaches revolving around Save Food at the Innovationparc. Some 20 companies will be exhibiting there on approximately 2,500 sq/mt area in a high-quality marquee between Halls 2 and 3.