“Each of us is different from all the others, but united we can create an incredible energy”… with these wordsEmma Boninoinaugurated the Women’s Forum Italy 2015 at the Universal Exposition on Monday, June 29. And the Forum’s first conference – “Our visions for a better agricultural value chain”, dedicated to improving the agricultural and food supply chain from an economic and ethical viewpoint – perfectly reflected this idea of multidimensionality focused into unity. Moderated by the journalistMaria Latella, the encounter featured speeches from guests from very different backgrounds which offered powerfully complementary ideas:Guido Barilla(CEO Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition),Fiona Dawson(President Mars Food),Jacqueline Franjou(CEO Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society),Janet Maro(Founder of Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania - SAT),Claudia Parzani(President Valore D),Laura Safer Espinoza(Director of the Fair Food Standards Council and ex-Judge of the Supreme Court of New York).
Relatives of Mother Nature, not her owners
“All over the world, women are in the front line of diet and nutrition, in their families and in society – declared Jacqueline Franjou – and we must unite with them to create a food production system that does not destroy resources, in which we consider ourselves as relatives of Mother Nature and not her owners”. “A large of part of the world’s food is produced by women, especially in rural areas in the Southern Hemisphere – added Claudia Parzani – and in those territories food security depends on women having the possibility to receive education, credit and land ownership.”
The importance of concrete results
“Supplying women with the tools needed to modify their destiny also means helping the entire community – said Janet Maro – In the villages on Mount Kilimanjaro where we operate, we see that living standards and soil and landscape health improve together.” “It takes such a long time for institutions to react – added Laura Safer Espinoza – while if you’re there in the field, working with a network of socially responsible companies run by the workers, you can observe concrete results in opposition to the new forms of slavery in the agricultural food production system, which is also present in the USA.”
The dual role of women
“For a major company, it is important to support projects which improve the standard of living of those who produce the natural ingredients present in its products, because this also improves the quality of those ingredients”, affirmed Fiona Dawson. “It is only right that women conquer a stronger presence in places where decision are made, but it is also important that they become more aware of the power which they already have, within families and communities”, noted Guido Barilla.
