After concluding his vocational training as a hotel manager and obtaining his business degree, Werner M. Dornscheidt launched his career in the international trade fair sector in 1979. He has spent the majority of his professional life since that time holding a variety of positions with Messe Düsseldorf GmbH and its predecessor companies both in Germany and abroad. Dornscheidt served as President and CEO of Leipziger Messe GmbH from 1999 to 2003 before moving to the same position at Messe Düsseldorf in January of 2004. Among other roles, he contributes his extensive international experience as a member of the Advisory Committee of the China Expo Forum for International Cooperation (CEFCO). Dornscheidt’s personal commitment comes to the fore in a host of other official roles, appointments and memberships – notably as a member of the board of trustees of the Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe (German Sports Aid Foundation).
3 Questions to… Werner M.Dornscheidt
1. Which aspect of the food waste problem is the most relevant?
It’s simply unacceptable that more than a billion tonnes of food end up in the rubbish while nearly a billion people around the world go hungry at the same time. It’s critical that participants from all the segments along the global food chain tackle the issue together – “from farm to fork” – so that a holistic solution to this important problem can be found.
2. And what should be done to improve things in this field?
The development of the SAVE FOOD Initiative has convinced us that we are on the right track in our quest to curb food losses and food waste in sensible ways. We must continue on this path without hesitation. Because we’ve linked the private and public sectors, we’re able to develop fundamental strategies in order to show the kinds of solutions that are required. Once specific projects emerge as a result of that process, we’re working on implementing them one step at a time.
3. Do you know SAVE FOOD intitiative already and which role does the Initiative SAVE FOOD play in fighting food losses and food waste in your opinion?
What makes the SAVE FOOD Initiative so powerful is the fact that it creates a comprehensive global network of all involved players. That’s how we’re able optimally to bundle the strength of our individual members from the private sector and from public organisations in order to reach our common goal.
And that’s the reason why the Initiative will once again this year organise a gathering of all relevant experts – the second international SAVE FOOD Congress in Düsseldorf on 7 and 8 May. As the leading international trade fair for the packaging and related processing industries, interpack offers the ideal platform for this get-together, in particular because innovative solutions in this field – providing, for example, for safe food transports or improved food processing and packaging directly after the harvest – are critically important.
