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When we were planning the implementation of today's event, we were filled with an unprecedented enthusiasm since for the first time we would bring to the geographical area of Troodos - especially Solea - an event that would combine scientific and specialized knowledge with the experiential application of the utilization of Troodos agri-food products and the reduction of food waste.
From the very first moment, we wanted this event to be aimed at the whole family, but also at students or even specialists in the field. We didn't want to make it just another festival. We wanted to make an event that combined knowledge and hands-on experience for everyone. From children to adults without ignoring, without bypassing any age group.
After all, teaching our children "what and how" to do in order to have a more sustainable future takes just as much effort to teach all of us how to listen to our children, but also how to implement everything we need to review in our home, in our business, in our workplace.
The linking of the programme and the mass participation in the event by the 14 speakers, half of whom were from academia and half from agriculture, with hands-on application of what will be discussed today, confirmed if not the success of the event certainly the willingness of all to join forces to achieve the common goal: Of turning into a common consciousness that environmental impact must be linked to every facet, to every action, to every decision, to every action we take.
The environment is not something arbitrary. It is something concrete and measurable. In the case of food, it is inextricably linked to both production and consumption. Hence the title of the event. "Environment, Sustainable Production and Consumption". What we mean by this. According to the definition given by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a sustainable diet is one that has a low environmental impact, from the moment of production to the moment of consumption. At the same time, it is accessible to all, i.e. it is not economically impossible to obtain, nor is it hard to obtain or difficult to locate.
Simply put, this diet and this way of eating is inextricably linked to the traditional Troodos agri-food products, it is identified with the Mediterranean diet, it is synonymous with the way our grandmothers and grandfathers cooked, but it is also identified with the specific methods of organic farming and regenerative agriculture.
The World Food Day that we celebrate tomorrow was not the only reason why we chose the theme of today's event. Apart from the need to highlight the production and consumption of local and seasonal products, we aim to contribute to the collective effort to reduce organic waste, which is one of the priorities of the Christodoulides Government. This is why today's event is under the high patronage of the First Lady, Mrs. Philippa Karseras Christodoulides, whom I thank.
The reference to the quantitative data alone makes each of us understand the reasons why we must change our habits in the way we choose raw materials and products.
Each of us produces about 650Kg of waste per year.
- According to surveys conducted in the European Union (FUSION 2016), annual food waste averages almost 179 kg per capita.
- Households in Cyprus produce ~48,000 tons of food waste per year.
- Households in Cyprus produce ~48,000 tons of food waste per year.
- Catering and restaurants produce 110,504 tonnes of food waste per year.
- The adoption of zero waste practices by 100,000 citizens would mean a reduction of 17,237 tonnes of waste produced per year.
- Emissions from the disposal of food waste in landfills are estimated at 119,786.064 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
- An average family car, to produce the same CO2 emissions, must travel approximately 466,093,634 kilometres (11,630 laps of the earth).
In other words, the solution to waste reduction must be a collective one, involving both production methods and consumption by each of us. As the Rev. Antonis Zorbas, Professor of the Open University, "it is a matter of mindset", it is a matter of behaviour of each one of us. To improve our way of life, our quality of life, the air we breathe, the world in which we raise our children.
I must stress that today's event meets all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which is why it received funding from the Directorate General for Development, which we thank.
I should note that in the tasting section we have almost 50 materials and/or products from Troodos that are part of our intangible cultural heritage. And this is just a sample to highlight that today's event has been designed and implemented with great care and diligence in order not only to highlight the problems but also to provide knowledge and practical solutions.
I owe a big thank you to our speakers, to the groups implementing the parallel workshops for children and teenagers and to the organisations with whom we are co-organising today's event:
- Atsas Educational Center,
- Mount Med Institute,
- Social Support Network of Mountainous Areas,
- Troodos Development Company - Troodos Geopark,
- Complexes of Solea and Morphou Communities
- The Centre for Social Innovation - CSI
I owe a big thank you to my team, Athena Grigoriadou, Theodolos Makriyannis and Charis Nicolaides for their help in organizing the event. I owe special thanks to Melina Filippou, Charalambos Miri and Froso Hadjiloukas. Most of all, I would like to thank Stavros Kazamia for the zeal and love he showed to organize this wonderful event.
Finally, thank you to RIK for being our communication sponsor and to all of you who are with us today.
(PM/EP)
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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