Food and society
Wellbeing can be measured in many ways
In recent years, the use of gross domestic product as a way of measuring a society’s wellbeing has been consistently challenged from observers around the world. This extract, taken from the latest volume of Eating Planet, introduces the concept of wellbeing indicators - an area where BCFN is carrying out a great deal of research and promotion.
23 Sep 2016
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Food and sustainability
Cars fuelled by the land
One of the paradoxes of the modern world is the exploitation of agricultural land to produce fuel instead of food, with an energy yield which is frequently unsustainable.
23 Sep 2016
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food and health
What does “healthy food” mean?
It might seem like an easy question, but US experts at the Food and Drug Administration have long been considering a review of their definition of “healthy” when it comes to food products.
9 Sep 2016
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Food and sustainability
Vegetables of the Sea
We’re used to thinking of a farmer as someone who grows vegetables in his garden or fields, but the sea too can be fertile “land” for the cultivation of a food that is valuable for both our health and environment: seaweed.
9 Sep 2016
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Food and society
The Dilemma of Economic Growth - Necessity vs. Feasibility
This article is a contribution by Japan for Sustainability (JFS), a non-profit group that provides information from Japan to add to momentum toward a truly happy and sustainable future. A survey conducted in Japan offers interesting insights into people’s perception of economic growth from a social, economical and personal perspective.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
The project “Analog forestry: productive conservation to fight deforestation”
Winner of the 2015 edition of the BCFN YES! competition proposes productive conservation to tackle the phenomenon of deforestation in the Amazon and achieve a harmonious and sustainable coexistence between man and the forest.
21 Jun 2016
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food and health
At the Dinner Table With Women
Women are at the foundation of their entire family’s nutrition, another reason why they need to be aware of the effects that food has on one’s health, effects which vary depending on one’s stage in life.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Land Grabbers Being Charged
The phenomenon of land grabbing is becoming more and more common and is starting to be seen in Europe as well. BCFN, through the dissemination of the Milan Protocol, promotes the practices associated with sustainable agriculture at the institutional level.
10 Jun 2016
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food for all
The pros and cons of water privatization
This topic triggers heated debates, especially since water resources are limited. But finding the best way to manage them means working for the good of humanity and the planet
3 Jun 2016
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food for all
Over 700,000 signatures against food waste
This is the astonishing result of a petition in favour of a law to combat food waste by large stores. Inspired by the Milan Protocol on Food and Nutrition, the initiative is gaining ground all over Europe.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and society
Growth and employment must be the same for everyone.
One of the United Nations’ developmental goals has to do with economic growth and employ-ment, something which must not become a differentiator between populations, but rather must be a catalyst for sustainable development for everyone.
22 Jul 2016
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food for all
But how much does it cost?
Studies show that eating healthily doesn’t have to cost more. The most important thing is knowing how to choose the right foods and to do so you need to be equipped with the right information.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Seasonality and sustainability apply to seafood too
Only with sustainable strategies for fishing and buying seafood products can we preserve the vast wealth that the sea gives us and which is now under serious threat due to human activity.
15 Jul 2016
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food and health
Obesity? Packaging is also to blame
Obesity is also about the way you think: images shown on packaging can encourage consumers to overestimate correct portion sizes and exceed daily calorie recommendations.
15 Jul 2016
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Food and society
Childhood obesity also has economic and social effects
It is not just health at stake: childhood obesity has a very significant economic and social impact which can only be overcome by tackling the problem on all fronts. The latest edition of Eating Planet, edited by the BCFN, highlights the seriousness of the situation.
14 Jul 2016
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food and health
Unhealthy food goes to your head
More and more studies are connecting the quality of people’s diet in childhood with cognitive development and academic performance, even in countries which do not suffer widespread hunger problems.
8 Jul 2016
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Food and society
Special award for the Youth Manifesto
On 8th April 2016, in the Salone dei Cinquecento at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, the 263° Academic Year of the Georgofili Academy was inaugurated. During the ceremony, Special Recognition was given to the Youth Manifesto.
1 Jul 2016
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Food and society
Food? A sacred issue
All religions have prescriptions concerning food, the symbol of existence and life: sometimes it is elevated to the status of sacred, whereas other times it is an object of prohibition. The BCFN has a global approach to food: if you want to work on the environmental sustainability of food production, you can’t ignore cultural and religious aspects that sometimes help, and sometimes hinder, the adoption of sustainable practices. The book Eating Planet and this article therefore dedicate ample space to the anthropology of food.
1 Jul 2016
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Food and sustainability
Climatarian: the “zero emissions” meal
Choosing which food to eat using a purely ecological criterion: the impact that the food has on the production of greenhouse gas. This is the idea behind climatarianism.
24 Jun 2016
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Food and society
Sustainability Meets the Media World
In an information landscape where not enough space is dedicated to issues related to environmental sustainability and agriculture, issues that are near and dear to BCFN, the European Journalism Fund’s project stands out, offering research grants to the top European scientific journalists looking to work on projects which focus on this field. And, surprise, Italians make up the lion’s share. BCFN wanted to present what these individuals will be working on in the coming years.
24 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Studying waste at school
A high school in Taranto specialising in IT has developed an educational project on food waste using materials produced by BCFN. The children then put the theories they learned into practice by delivering food packages to people in need.
17 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Ten trends in food sustainability
The Sustainable Development Goals in terms of food, directly mentioned four main objectives: ending hunger, achieving food security, improving food nutrition and promoting sustainable production. Seeds&Chips - an the International Summit dedicated to food innovation from farm to fork – heped to spot ten trends that are driving the food-tech industry towards this aimed more sustainable foodscape.
13 Jun 2016
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food for all
Sustainable development Goals
The United Nations (UN) has outlined a work-plan: 17 points to help guide the development of and initiate a true “sustainable transformation” worldwide.
6 Jun 2016
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Food and society
Insects foods in Indonesia
While FAO advises to rethink our aversion to insects as foods, some countries like Indonesia offer a wide range of dishes that use insects as the main ingredient. The report from Zul Astri, from Indinesia, member of BCFN Alumni.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Sustainability on a plate
Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food and member of the BCFN advisory board, recently reissued “Good, clean and fair”, the text which introduced the “Slow Food philosophy” to the world 10 years ago. To celebrate its re-release, we are publishing an extract of the text which Petrini wrote for the 2016 edition of Eating Planet – BCFN’s book on food, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and the fight against food waste. He speaks of a fundamental principle: the cost of food should not be limited to its economic value, but must also take into account a collection of other values regarding society as a whole and its evolution
3 Jun 2016
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food and health
Diet and genetics influence each other
Food and genes are constantly talking to each other, and their dialogue has an impact on many aspects of health and society, so much so that it can even lead to the birth of new scientific disciplines
3 Jun 2016
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Food and society
Disgusting? It's a question of culture
Disgust is an emotion defined by physiological and cognitive factors but also by relational, social and cultural aspects. This is why our food choices are to a large extent determined by our upbringing and the context in which we live.
3 Jun 2016
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food for all
Economy: here's why food is action
Price fluctuations in food commodities have a significant impact on food sustainability for families. BCFN has developed a model which takes into account determining factors for variations in the price of raw materials.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Climate change: agriculture and health are paying the price
The climate is changing and the consequences are being felt in agriculture where modifications to food production may have a negative impact on health.
3 Jun 2016
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food and health
The Mediterranean diet adapts to the times
We tend to talk about the Mediterranean diet, though it would be more accurate to talk about it in the plural as, in reality, there are various versions of the diet as it adapts to different requirements
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
A resource to value
There are an increasing number of women farming, but in some countries they are subjected to grueling working conditions. Recognizing women’s skills is a way to help promote sustainable development.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
From agriculture to energy production, everyone demands water
The visible consumption of water is not the only form of consumption. To live, eat and produce, we consume massive amounts of water, at a rate our planet will not be able to sustain for much longer.
27 Jun 2016
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food and health
Fat? Not my child!
Parents fail to objectively evaluate their children’s weight, and believe that they behave better at mealtimes than they actually do. The result? Childhood obesity is on the increase.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Which kind of social system will feed the 9 billion?
Scientists, researchers and activists from all around the world gathered in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss which global politics should be adopted in order to guarantee a fair and sustainable future for the planet we live in and for the forthcoming 9 billion of inhabitants.
3 Jun 2016
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food for all
Saving water starts with food
Our personal hygiene and the water we drink only have a minor impact on our general consumption. Food production is what really weighs heavily on our water balance. Rather than looking at what’s in our glasses, we should focus on what’s on our plates.
3 Jun 2016
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food and health
Good food makes us live longer and healthier lives
To live longer and healthier it is important to focus on lifestyle, including good food. But it’s only a winning strategy if started in early childhood and continued for a lifetime.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
The food you choose is good for you and the planet
Scientific studies have shown that health targets and obligations to safeguard the ecosystem converge. The double food and environmental pyramid is a simple way of explaining to everyone how each meal can be transformed into a concrete way to improve their health and the health of the planet.
3 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Who wastes the most?
Food is thrown away by producers, retailers, but above all by end consumers. It is a vicious circle that must be broken, starting by properly planning what we put in our cupboards.
10 Jun 2016
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Food and sustainability
Tristram Stuart: leading the fight against food waste
An unflinching daily commitment and countless innovative ideas are key to the success of the initiatives created by the British activist with a firm belief that the best way to celebrate food is to stop throwing it away.
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Food and sustainability
Transforming cities for a more sustainable future
A focus on transportation and energy sources is no longer enough: cities need better food policies to become more environmentally sustainable.
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food for all
Feeding the world while protecting the planet
Feeding the world while protecting the planet is one of the biggest challenges of our time, jeopardised by an ailing food system afflicted by serious contradictions.
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Food and sustainability
Clear goals and flexible means
Little I knew when I sent my project idea to BCFN back in 2014 that I would now be based in Timor-Leste doing a PhD about such project. Life takes it’s course, that is for sure, and many times in completely unexpected ways. This is the story of the journey since I took that plane from my home town at that time, Sydney, to Dili, a land of new beginnings.
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food and health
From winning the YES! prize to the marketplace
This young researcher’s story is one of success. And all thanks to the BCFN YES! Competition, which gave her the tools to develop her idea: an app rewarding physical activity with healthy food.
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Food and sustainability
Biodiversity is the key to evolution
From a scientific point of view, the term biodiversity means a variability of species, genes and ecosystems. The term is often used inappropriately, but a reduction in biodiversity could represent a real risk to humanity.
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food for all
Food insecurity: not just a problem for developing countries
The problem of eating enough healthy food and finding the right food for your well-being is a global challenge which is very much a reality in the richest countries, including USA and countries in Europe.
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food and health
What is the most sustainable diet? The one with the least calories.
The most innovative studies show that to live a longer and healthier life one can do something more radical than simply eat according to the Food Pyramid: one must drastically reduce his or her calorie intake. However, improvised fasts can be dangerous. That’s why people, like Italian scientist Valter Longo, have created an imitation fast diet.
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food for all
The United Nations Outlook on the Second Paradox of the Global Food System
Agriculture and sustainable development are two important elements of the United Nations and BCFN missions – organizations with one common vision: a world of equal opportunity in which growth and development are both possible for everyone and sustainable for the environment.
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Food and sustainability
Everyone is invited to send their contribution
The first Stakeholder Workshop concluded that it is crucial to involve representatives of civil society and the general public, so that they can have their say on what strategies are necessary to develop a sustainable food production system able to respond to the challenges of climate change.
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Food and sustainability
Global warming? It’s not just a question of energy
Riccardo Valentini – Professor of Forestry Ecology at the University of Tuscia, Director of the IPCC and member of the BCFN advisory board – presented the new edition of Eating Planet in Rome on the day of the signing of the COP 21, the international climate agreement. Here, he explains why issues related to energy are not the only problem to tackle in order to avoid the disasters which climate change could cause.
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Food and sustainability
Dialogue between institutions and private organisations
The second edition of the World Food Research and Innovation Forum was held in Parma with the aim of putting those involved in sustainable development in touch with stakeholders in the agro-food supply chain.
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food and health
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Food Revolution Day: The Children of the Revolution
Once again this May, a day dedicated to fresh and tasty food will be held to remind the world of the benefits of healthy eating which needs to be a core message in children’s education.
Food and sustainability
Saving water starts with small actions
Particularly in the developed countries, water use (and waste) is reaching extremely high levels, at the very limits of sustainability, but this tendency could be reversed if each of us modified our daily habits.
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Food and society
The America of high-calorie snacks
A PAHO study quantifies the increase in consumption of unhealthy foods in the Americas and establishes six action points to combat childhood obesity.
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food for all
Young Earth Solutions research grant competition
The reckless use of resources, food waste, half of the global population characterised by an unbalanced relationship with food – either an excess or deficiency of – are problems requiring concrete and immediate interventions right across the food supply chain.
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food for all
The prices of basic food commodities are falling
This is according to the FAO – The World Food and Agriculture Organisation – which constantly monitors the main prices of food products such as cereals, meat, dairy, vegetable oils and sugar.
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Food and sustainability
A declaration of love for the planet
Since 1970, the 22nd of April each year has been celebrated as World Earth Day, the biggest global environment movement and an occasion to talk about the environment and encourage its protection through numerous initiatives.
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Food and sustainability
Sustainable diets can help us feed the planet and achieve the goals of cop21
On the eve of Earth day and the ratification of the agreement reached on 12 December at COP21 by signatory countries, the BCFN Foundation highlights the impact of our daily food choices and the importance of adopting sustainable diets in order to protect the well-being of both people and the planet.
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food and health
World Health Day: Focus on Diabetes
A whole day dedicated to health, with a particular focus on the prevention, treatment and awareness of diabetes, a complex chronic disease which in many cases can be prevented by following simple guidelines.
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food and health
Freedom is choosing free from influence
Vegetarian chef Pietro Leemann, owner of Joia, the only meat-free restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star, tells us what pursuing food sustainability means for him: it all boils down to choice.
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Food and sustainability
The farmer of the future will improve sustainable agriculture
The 5-day Taiwan Education Experience Program (TEEP) “De-Coding the Cold War and Contemporary Societies” which was held in National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, under the auspices of International Institute for Cultural Studies, University System of Taiwan, was indeed a life-changing experience.
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food for all
Biofuels, hungry for land
Set against a vast number of people without access to food, a growing proportion of agricultural land is given over to the production of biofuels to power cars.
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food for all
World Water Day: a day dedicated to water
This 22nd March, like every 22nd March for almost twenty years, is World Water Day, an opportunity to find out more about this precious resource, take concrete action and make a difference.
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Food and sustainability
Eating Planet: food, health and sustainability for people and for the Planet
The BCFN Foundation presented the second edition of Eating Planet in Milan and New York
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Food and society
Building a better Planet in the Big Apple
February 2016, New York City played host to the spirited launch of the new book by BCFN Foundation: "Eating Planet. Food and Sustainability: Building our Future".
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food for all
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Eating Planet: what not to say tomorrow, I had no idea
The core themes of the new book, Eating Planet: proposals and reflections for a more sustainable food system, are illustrated and explained by journalist and television presenter Tessa Gelisio.
food for all
Three paradoxes to solve
Can hunger and malnutrition be eradicated? Is there enough food for everyone on the planet? The answer is yes, but we must act to distribute resources more evenly.
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Food and sustainability
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Eating Planet: a book for a planet in search of balance
Food and sustainability are at the heart of the multidisciplinary thoughts in the new edition of this book edited by the BCFN.
Food and society
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The Youth Manifesto reaches adulthood
From the collective development of the document to the creation of a network of BCFN Alumni, through to its arrival at the European Parliament. Young people’s ideas for changing the agri-food model are making headway.
Food and society
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Before and after the Expo: from the Milan Protocol to COP21
Food, sustainability and the climate: the major challenges on the horizon.