The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), represented by Mr. Salvatore Giannino, its delegate at UNESCO, participated and actively contributed to “The UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Food”, which took place in Parma, Italy, on 12 and 13 September, organized in collaboration with the Italian Government.
The Forum brought together more than 150 participants to analyse the link between food, culture and education as powerful enablers of transformational change and sustainable development. The event was opened by H.E. Dario Franceschini, Italian Minister for Cultural Heritage, H.E. Teresa Bellanova, Italian Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, and Mr Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture.
Noting the importance of eating well while protecting the planet, the speakers analysed how, over the last century, food systems have undergone significant transformation with technological advances, the massive use of fossil fuels, trends in migration and increasing urbanization.
Experts recalled the impact of climate change, which brings new risks to food security, particularly for the over 2 billion people, who currently do not access safe and nutritious food in sufficient quantities.
In his intervention, Mr Giannino highlighted the excellent cooperation between PAM and UNESCO, as well as with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, which funded a training program for three women immigrant cooks – from Serbia, Albania and Morocco, respectively – to set up micro enterprises in the gastronomic sector.
The Forum concluded with the adoption of the “Parma Declaration”, which reaffirms the necessity of reinforcing the links between culture and food to preserve biodiversity rooted in cultural identity and heritage, improving food production and consumption, supporting healthy nutrition and boosting transformational change.
On the margins of the meeting, Mr. Giannino had a bilateral meeting with the Italian Ambassador to UNESCO, H.E. Massimo Riccardo, and discussed PAM’s possible contribution to the International Forum dedicated to the 10th years anniversary of the inscription of the Mediterranean Diet on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO, to be held in Paris, in 2020.