“Food capital? That's not enough — Milan must become the capital of sustainability.” Livia Pomodoro, president of the Milan Center for Food Law and Policy, takes stock of the city's role two years after the end of Expo.
When we talk about food and nutrition, about production as well as distribution, we cannot forget that we are approaching a sector that cannot sustain itself alone. And therefore – on its own – it cannot be called sustainable. Food is a central theme, but it intersects with a series of other indispensable strands, ranging from a precious resource such as water to the health of the individual and of the Planet on which each of us spends a brief period of time. For this reason, the work of an organisation like the Milan Center for Food Law and Policy – chaired by Livia Pomodoro and born out of the slogan of Expo Milano 2015, the universal exposition dedicated to nutrition, "Feeding the Planet" – has also had to adapt its research and documentation work, which aims to carry forward the legacy, the intangible legacy of Expo, by extending it to the second part of that same slogan: "Energy for Life." Because "the right to food is closely linked to the overall sustainability of the system," Pomodoro states.
The other side of the coin – or perhaps the first – is water. On 27 and 28 September, the Milan Center for Food Law and Policy will organise, together with other public and private bodies, the first international forum dedicated to this source of life, entitled Rules of water, rules for life (a kind of paraphrase of the Expo slogan). From the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (Miur) to the Gruppo Cap, from the FAO to the European Commission, many organisations have decided to collaborate in order to stimulate a debate on water governance and management at the metropolitan level as well. The objective is to find common ground for promoting innovative policies through the involvement of all stakeholders, including governments and international organisations.
"Water is the cornerstone of the system's sustainability, as well as being a common good. This is why it is important to know how to reuse it, how to manage it efficiently, starting from the agricultural sector," Pomodoro told LifeGate. "The intangible legacy of Expo must therefore extend to the very reasons why we are in the world – the reasons that underpin the existence of humanity." The international forum "is an idea that was conceived as a side event to the Italian G7 and is linked to the activities of the Miur. So," Pomodoro continues, "there is an important aspect connected to education as well, because we must first commit ourselves as citizens, given that water is a finite resource and it is important to look to the long term in order to avoid wasting even a single drop of this most precious resource." What is more, water is a fundamental element for maintaining international peace and security, since today "control of the rivers, lakes and water basins that cross the territory of multiple states can generate conflicts."
Returning to the main theme – nutrition – Pomodoro also offers an initial assessment of the challenge of making Milan the food capital. This year, from 4 to 11 May, the municipality led by Mayor Beppe Sala and the various organisations linked to the Tuttofood trade fair attempted to replicate the tried-and-tested model of the furniture fair and its fringe event and apply it to food. A "pop," commercial dimension that is nonetheless useful for "getting the message across to as many people as possible," says Pomodoro, even though the Milan Center for Food Law and Policy will continue "to focus on the international research and in-depth scientific side. We try to follow up on the directions that have come to us directly from the United Nations." The combination of the two aspects – commercial and scientific – is part of the challenge linked to a shared vision. A vision that, in concrete terms, also includes the ambition to bring to the area that hosted the universal exposition "a technology hub capable of expressing its full potential across various sectors," including the healthcare sector (which is closely connected to the food sector), a field that Pomodoro is involved with "personally."
Milan as the food capital? Too reductive: "Milan, capital of sustainability" – that is Livia Pomodoro's true goal, a city that addresses "all the strands that develop in parallel while remaining interconnected." The environment, for instance. So much so that the president of the research and documentation centre closes with a wish: "I believe Milan should put itself forward to host the 2020 climate conference (COP) – this initiative would fit perfectly into the narrative we have built so far. My idea of a sustainable future is complete, and we must strengthen every aspect of it, bearing in mind that we are guests on this Earth and must therefore care for it, protect it. Preserve it."
None of this has been done so far, and today we find ourselves facing very serious environmental damage, to which phenomena such as land grabbing and water grabbing contribute. "We must create such a dense web of issues," Pomodoro concludes, "that it becomes virtually impossible to let anything slip through."