The European Commission wants to cut the use of chemical pesticides in half by 2030, as part of its latest plan on sustainability and biodiversity. The EU institution’s announcement, a piece of its ambitious Farm to Fork strategy, aims to make food systems more healthy and environmentally-friendly. The Commission said
April 7 marks WHO’s annual World Health Day, which this year has the theme “Our planet, our health”. The future health of the planet and human health are inextricably linked. An estimated 13 million deaths annually are attributable to avoidable environmental causes, and that number will continue to grow unless overconsumption
UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme today added 20 new sites, in 21 countries to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which now numbers 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries, including 22 transboundary sites. UNESCO Biosphere reserves now cover more than 5% of the Earth’s landmass, in which biodiversity
Vulnerable communities disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by plastics pollution, according to new UN Environment Programme report. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the non-governmental organisation Azul have released a new report highlighting how plastic pollution disproportionately affects marginalised communities and communities living in close proximity to
Deforestation rates are significantly lower in Indigenous and Tribal territories where governments have formally recognized collective land rights, according to a new report. Jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the
The Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay opened the UNESCO Forum on Biodiversity by pointing out that one year after its emergence, the COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed what we had already known; “by threatening biodiversity, humanity is threatening the conditions for its own survival”. “The pandemic demonstrated that
Natural ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands and oceans, do a pretty good job of storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. It’s therefore no surprise that Nature-based Solutions (NbS) – actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems, for the benefit of people and nature – are being widely
Recognizing that the continued deterioration and degradation of the world’s natural ecosystems were having major impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere, world leaders called for increased resolve to protect biodiversity at the UN. A record number of countries – nearly 150 countries and 72 Heads of State
The short film Making Norway Taste the Picture from Trondheim-Trøndelag, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2022, has been announced as winner of the Environment and Food category of the Food Film Menu 2020, organised by IGCAT. The film highlights how the nature and landscapes of Trondheim-Trøndelag give a unique flavour to
«Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases from wildlife to people.» Now, the real question is how do we make things right in the world, while avoiding
An international conference of the Iter Vitis European Cultural Route, took place in Motovun, Istria County on November 14-16, where IGCAT’s President was a key note speaker. The From heritage to brand conference, held as part of the Iter Vitis European Cultural Route General Assembly, brought together more than 200
Some estimates reveal that Americans waste as much as 60 million tons of food a year. Given the plight of world hunger, this fact is shameful enough, but what many of us may not realize is that wasted food also has a harmful effect on the environment. So that we might be
On 16 January 2016, Davinia Galea, Deputy Director of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) was invited to chair the plenary session at the General Convention of the Nationalist Party in Malta. This year’s theme was ‘idea ambjent’ (Idea Environment). Her topic was ‘Environment and Culture’ in view of
Overcoming hunger and malnutrition in the 21st century no longer means simply increasing the quantity of available food but also the quality. Despite numerous achievements in the world’s food systems, approximately 805 million people suffer from chronic hunger and roughly two billion peoples suffer from one or more micronutrient deficiencies
