Day 5 Lectures of the Final Phase of the Siena International School on Sustainable Development 2022

On June 17, Peter Schmidt (European Economic Social Committee) and Stefano Gatti (MAECI) held lectures on the fifth day of the final phase of the Siena International School on Sustainable Development.
Fostering sustainability in the EU: the role of civil society” with Peter Schmidt (European Economic Social Committee)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative body that represents EU-organized civil society. The governments nominate the members and it has 6 Working bodies, one of which is the Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT).

EESC works on Health and sustainable diets, fair food supply chain, short food supply chains and agroecology aligning food businesses with SDGs and open strategic autonomy for food security.

To achieve sustainable development, a strategic approach, structured engagement, convening spaces, and partnerships are required.

Each person needs 2,000 calories per day, but about twice as much is produced. Despite this, hunger continues to exist in some parts of the world. For example, only 11% of vegetables produced arrive on the tables of Europe, and the rest is wasted.

“The role of international cooperation in food security” with Stefano Gatti (MAECI)

Food insecurity and instability didn’t start with the Ukrainian war in Europe. Not enough food reaches the people in need, even though the food produced worldwide would be enough to feed everyone. For instance, around 20% of the food production in the Mediterranean regions is wasted.

Even if none of the countries in the Mediterranean regions is on the list of the least developed countries, food security is a cross-cutting issue, for instance, Lebanon is dependent on imports of wheat for 91%. Therefore sustainability and food security are intrinsically interconnected and need to be pursued together. 

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