“Food is a crucial subject, not only for the health and well-being of individuals but also for the economies of countries and for the environmental balance of the planet” – observed Guido Barilla in opening the works of the Conference on Food and Health held at the Sala Capitolare of the Senate Building. “Just for this reason we consider it more than ever necessary to invest to promote the spread of knowledge, fostering the development of a culture that is still too limited in this sector”.

This is the reasoning behind the creation of the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, and that, after a first year of intense activity, held its first “official” meeting with the institutions. On March 4, through its partnership with the Health Observatory, under the presidency of Sen. Cesare Cursi, it was possible to develop an interesting discussion that involved, among the others, Sen.Paolo Scarpa Bonazza Buora (watch the interview), president of the Agriculture Commission of the Senate, and Hon. Paolo Russo (watch the interview), president of the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.

The picture that emerges from the meeting is rather complex. The variables to take into account in analyzing the entire system are quite numerous: they range from climate change to agricultural productivity, from demographic growth to styles of consumption, from water management to urban planning, from food security to food safety. To follow all these threads, universities, research centers and laboratories are called upon to continue their research, according to an approach that is as interdisciplinary as possible. This is the only way to resolve the controversial points (such as biofuels or GMO), preventing on the one hand ideological attitudes and, on the others, conflicts of interest and the pressure of the lobbies. In this process, the institutions must in any case maintain a central role, not only as regards the regulatory aspects and definition of the guidelines and agricultural policies, but also in supporting the investments of those enterprises interested in applying more sustainable production methods and fostering the dietary education of the general public.