In preparation for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the State Tourism Agency and the National Culinary Center organized specialized training sessions for staff working in hotel restaurants and other food and beverage establishments.

Over the course of 30 days, more than 500 industry professionals from 220 independent and hotel-based food and beverage enterprises participated in the program.

Experts from the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency also provided insights on food safety regulations and relevant legislation.

Notably, 12 local trainers underwent an intensive 8-day "Train-the-Trainer" program led by international experts from the Worldchefs Association.

The training sessions were divided into theoretical and practical components, covering key topics such as food safety, national and international menus, techniques for incorporating vegan/vegetarian meal packages into daily menus, reducing carbon emissions in kitchens, ensuring ecological sustainability in food service operations, enhancing customer satisfaction, and optimizing kitchen management.

Upon successful completion of the initial phase, local trainers took exams to qualify for the second stage, where they began training administrative and kitchen personnel from industry establishments.

The primary goal of the initiative is to ensure that industry stakeholders are fully prepared for COP29 and beyond, aligning their operations with international standards and contributing to the long-term development of the sector.