The UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) has named Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini its
'zero hunger' special ambassador to Europe, Farm Minister
Maurizio Martina said Wednesday.
"I am very, very happy," Martina said.
"I am sure Carlo will engage with the enthusiasm and
commitment we have always known, and that have made him the
uncontested protagonist of the civil movement to uphold the
right to food that is good, clean and fair," the minister said,
citing the Slow Food motto.
"The 2030 zero hunger target...is within our reach,"
Martina said.
"(Petrini's) contribution will be decisive in arriving at
that objective".
Martina also thanked FAO Director-General José Graziano da
Silva for his "sensitivity" in choosing Petrini, who is
internationally recognized for his pioneering work over the
last 30 years to improve the sustainability, biodiversity and
ethics of the world's agriculture and food supply.
Founded in 1986, the Slow Food movement is aimed at
reviving artisanal, eco-friendly food production techniques that
are threatened by industrial farming and mass food production.
The organization now has over 100,000 members and
supporters in over 150 countries, defending local food
traditions, supporting biodiversity, tackling food waste and
promoting small-scale quality products.
Petrini was born in the Piedmont town of in 1949 and was a
Time magazine hero of the year in 2004.
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