iDEALDining's drive to alleviate poverty and promote prosperity
The on-site offerings include hand-woven bamboo baskets from Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, whole grains from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Tibet, Guizhou, Yunnan, Qinghai provinces and Chongqing, potato cookies and chopembroidered masks from Dongxiang, Gansu Province, and handmade blue-printed chopstick sets from Danzhai, Guizhou Province.
This year marks a key period for eliminating absolute poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects in China.
The 2020 “iDEALDining: Eating Out and Helping Out” project, held by Shanghai Daily and guided by Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Information Office, aims to demonstrate the city’s achievements in targeted poverty alleviation and support Chinese farmers.
During today’s ceremony, 37 awards for public welfare will be announced, including 17 outstanding special menus created by both Chinese and foreign chefs, using food and ingredients sourced from poverty-stricken areas, assisted by city’s 16 districts.
Multinational companies in Shanghai have been actively coming up with innovative practises in support of poverty alleviation this year.
During the project, chefs from international hotel groups, such as Hyatt, Marriott, AccorHotels and Pan Pacific, selected more than 50 products from different regions, including the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Kashgar region of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shigatse of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Zunyi City of Guizhou Province, to present more expressive dimensions of Chinese food ingredients.
The event is also co-held by Shanghai Rural and Commercial Bank, which has been launching poverty alleviation projects in Yunnan and Xinjiang for years.
According to the bank, it will continue to contribute to the targeted financial poverty alleviation with financial services to help people live a better life.
George Wee, general manager of Fairmont Peace Hotel & area general manager China, AccorHotels
“Through participating in this project, I discovered that many ingredients in western China are on par with those from the best international farms. In a challenging 2020, it is our responsibility to support the development of these beautiful western regions and tell customers the story from farm to table,” said George Wee, general manager of Fairmont Peace Hotel and area general manager China, AccorHotels.
Sebastian Wu, head of F&B, regional director of Hyatt Hotels Group China
Sebastian Wu, head of F&B, regional director of Hyatt Hotels Group China, said that all five of its hotels have participated in the event and will consider incorporating Yunnan terrace duck into the group’s supply chain system.
“This event not only allows high-quality food in poverty alleviation areas to be appreciated by more people, but also gives us an opportunity to draw more nutrients from the vast fields, to better meet the changing catering needs of guests,” said Wu.
Signify and Evonik Industries, multinational corporations in the field of technology services, paid more attention to the source of food materials — the field and the ground.
Evonik Industries supported the 2020 Evonik Cup “iDEALDining” Painting Competition.
Grace Li, head of communications, Evonik Asia Pacific North
Li Fangfei, Evonik Asia Pacific North’s head of communications, said that an ideal table is not only delicious food on the table, but also its traceability from the field to the table. Starting from the source of the industry chain, animal nutrition, professional knowledge and digitization are achieved through precision feeding. In combination, they seek solutions that can meet people’s sustainable nutritional needs.
Chandra Vaidyanathan (left), SVP & business leader APMEA, Division Digital Solutions at Signify
Signify, committed to promoting innovation and sustainable development, and Park Hyatt Shanghai, jointly launched a vegetarian charity menu. Chandra Vaidyanathan, senior vice president and business leader APMEA, Division Digital Solutions at Signify, believes that to promote the sustainable production of high-quality and high-yield crops is Signify’s efforts on the iDEALDining theme.
Biopharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical is committed to improving the quality of life of patients with rare diseases in China through food on the table. Takeda and Hyatt Regency Shanghai Wujiaochang jointly launched the IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) patient caring menu during this project.
From now through December 31, the “iDEALDining” symbol can be found in more than 600 restaurants, cafes, hotels, shops and lifestyle landmarks across Shanghai.
Guests dining in the participating restaurants can scan the QR code on the table to visit the “iDEALDining” website to watch videos highlighting the ingredients, their places of origin and how the chefs make the delicacies on a journey to discover the flavors of China.
They can also get coupons through participation in the “clean your plate and waste no food” action.
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