17th Dubai Int'l Food Safety Conference kicks off at DWTC

The Dubai International TH Food Safety Conference, now in its 17th edition, commenced on December 11, 2023, at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) with the theme 'Impact of Climate Change on Food Safety.'

Organized by Dubai Municipality, the event is slated to continue until December 13, 2023, bringing together over 3,000 industry experts, academics, and representatives from research institutions, local and international companies, and organizations.

The conference aims to share experiences, discuss knowledge innovations, and shed light on recent trends in the realm of food safety and security.

A central focus of the conference is the global stocktake (GST) draft, particularly its section on options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Notably, the draft does not explicitly mention the "phase-out of fossil fuels" but features robust language addressing coal usage. This has raised concerns, especially for heavily coal-dependent countries like India and China, where about 40 percent of global CO2 emissions originate from coal.

India, relying on coal for approximately 70 percent of its power generation, has expressed strong reservations about the draft's specific targeting of coal.

Alongside other developing nations, India has called for a comprehensive revision of paragraph 39 of the draft document, which outlines options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A new draft addressing these concerns is expected soon.