Copenhagen is hosting the 3rd World Food Summit on August 30, 2018. The theme for this year’s two-day summit is “Better food for more people”.

As the world's population grows, it has become more and more difficult to match with the demand for safe food and clean water. According to the population forecast by the UN, the world's population will grow to 8.4 Billion by 2030. Not only will it have a big impact on the agricultural industry, but also on restaurants as well.

Despite of our current farming technologies and efforts, we are still unable to eradicate hunger on our planet. On the one hand, we have starving children around the world, and on the other hand, we waste a lot of food in industrialized countries. Not only do food shortages exist but also food safety is a big concern, as one out of ten people still get sick as a consequence of eating contaminated food. We have been facing these problems for decades, but there is no perfect solution yet.

China has done an amazing job of lifting millions of its people out of poverty during the last decade alone, not to mention since the founding of the People's Republic of China. By increasing the living standards of its people, China has also increased its demand for better and more healthy food. Chinese people are getting more aware of food quality and food safety, especially because of incidents regarding food safety in restaurants.

There is a growing trend in China of more people consider buying organic food, even if it’s more expensive. The word “organic”, gives them the guarantee that no pesticides, fertilizers, irradiation or synthetic food additives were used during the farming process.  

As China has the largest population in the world, it is a gargantuan challenge to provide safe and healthy food for everyone. Even with its huge agriculture industry, China is still very dependent on imports from other countries. The demand is just too big, and it seems certain to get even bigger in the future. 

One possible solution for creating safe crops in China, is to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and organic pesticides, like essential oils from plants, in farming. Flying drones and an AI system will be responsible of monitoring fields and the use of natural organic pesticides, but only on crops which are infected by pests. Even if it will be more costly, most people are willing to pay the price for safe food.

Another big problem in China, aside from contaminated crops, is food safety in restaurants. With incidents about reused ingredients like oil and recurring hygiene problems, it has become a big concern for the people to eat outside their homes. Compared to the West, China is lenient when it comes to restaurant owners.

Because the punishments are weak and ineffective, some owners do not abide by the health and sanitation regulations and are content to pay small fines if caught. By increasing the punishment, such as closing down restaurants and imposing large fines, restaurant owners are more likely to abide by the health and sanitation regulations.

China has one of the most diverse and complex cuisines in the world, and almost every city has its own special way of preparing food. It’s a shame not to feel comfortable eating outside the home and missing out trying these delicacies.

To summarize, with our growing population, it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide safe and healthy food for everyone. By using new technologies and organic pesticides, we can prevent contaminated crops and increase the amount of safe food. Also by increasing the punishment for restaurant owners who do not abide by the regulations, we can create a safe environment for people to eat. 

Countries around the world are aware of these issues and, through these summits, they are trying to find new ways and solutions to make our world a better place.