KUALA LUMPUR, 3 NOVEMBER 2017 – His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales today launched the ‘Forgotten Foods Network’ – a global initiative spearheaded by Crops For the Future (CFF) – at the CFF Headquarters in Malaysia. This visit is in conjunction with His Royal Highness’ visit to Malaysia to celebrate the United Kingdom’s partnership with Commonwealth Nations on shared priorities in advance of the Commonwealth Summit in April 2018. Also in attendance was YB Brig Jen Khairy Jamaluddin, Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports.

The Forgotten Foods Network is a global initiative that collects and shares information on foods, recipes and traditions that are part of our common heritage. By creating this network, we hope to discover and share foods that can transform the way we eat now and nourish us in climates of the future.

Our globalised food system is at risk, especially as the world population continues to grow on a hotter, more volatile planet. The narrowing of diets to only a few key ingredients has coincided with an increase in the incidence of diet-related diseases linked with highly processed foods that are energy-rich yet nutrient-poor. A balanced diet derived from a diverse range of foods is key to optimal health and nutrition. “We need to put nutrition at the heart of our food systems,” urges CFF Chief Executive Officer, Professor Sayed Azam-Ali. This is where `forgotten foods’ – the traditional foods and crops that our ancestors ate – could play a vital role, especially in the unpredictable and vulnerable climates of the future.

The establishment of the Forgotten Foods Network by CFF is in response to the vision of the Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for an `International Year of Forgotten Foods’. The Forgotten Foods Network will raise awareness, public contributions and scientific research on forgotten foods and the crops from which they derive.

“It is clear that diversification of our diets is crucial in the face of rapid urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles and more vulnerable climates. For this, we need ingredients from a diverse range of crops that can grow in environments that are increasingly marginal for the world’s major crops. It is not only important to feed the world, but to nourish a growing population with healthy, diverse diets that include ingredients from a wide range of species. We are extremely honoured that HRH The Prince of Wales graced this important occasion, and hope that the Forgotten Foods Network can help identify forgotten foods that can feed the future” adds Prof. Sayed Azam-Ali.