Cooperation is the key to success -
without everyone's collaboration nobody can prosper in a society
that risks failing to meet its goals, according to participants
of the European Innovation for Sustainability Summit promoted
last week by the European Institute of Innovation for
Sustainability (EIIS), in partnership with the UN International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
This message, said EIIS Director General Andrea Geremicca,
emerged at the event which explored the connection between
climate, food and health together with opportunities and
innovations connected to the cooperation between different
sectors and professions.
Organized and hosted by EIIS on May 10-11 in Rome, in
cooperation with IFAD and with the institutional support of the
European Parliament, the summit gathered over 80 speakers from
around the world.
They included IFAD President Alvaro Lario, the Vice President of
the European Investment Bank Gelsomina Vigliotti, Jeffrey Sachs
of Columbia University and chef Bruno Barbieri.
"IFAD uses its budget to co-fund projects and forge partnerships
with the private sector", said IFAD President Alvaro Lario,
introducing the event.
"IFAD is today more than ever committed to take direct action
and to co-invest with the private sector", he noted.
The Institute and the UN agency have announced the signature of
a memorandum of agreement providing for cooperation in training
activities aimed at promoting and supporting the evolution of
management capabilities and know-how in innovation, rural
development and sustainability.
"Sustainability is a commitment and this commitment needs to be
recognized by farmers", stressed the CEO of Illycaffé Cristina
Scocchia, speaking about the global coffee production chain.
"Relationships within the production chain need to be strong",
noted the CEO of Mutti, Francesco Mutti, adding that this is an
essential condition together with partnerships aimed at
promoting sustainability targets.
The country manager of Findus Italy Nomad Food, Renato Roca,
said his group's objective is to get 100 percent of its fish
from certified sustainable fishing "over the next two years".
The vice president and managing director of the Mondelēz
International Group in Italy, Silvia Bagliani, stressed the
"fundamental value of innovation within sustainability" and all
connected programs, such as the pact with the production chain
which the group has developed since 2008.
Everybody's cooperation is also fundamental in recycling, said
the director general of Conai, Simona Fontana.
"There is no sustainability without the responsibility" of
consumers as well as companies, Fontana noted.
"We work a lot with research institutes to acquire more
scientific knowledge and deliver it to those operating on the
ground", said the general manager of Ferrero Hazelnut Company,
Marco Botta.
"These activities are aimed at preserving quality because the
great challenge for production chains is to deal with climate
change which endangers quality", he explained.
"We can't go far along the path towards sustainability if we are
alone", said the president of EIIS, Carlo Alberto Pratesi.
"New forms of cooperation are necessary to obtain results",
noted Pratesi.
Columbia University economist, Jeffrey Sachs, stressed the
importance of peace and cooperation between States to promote
sustainability.
"You can't have sustainable development in war", he said.
"War is made to kill people", he concluded, stressing the
paradox of a zero-emission tank.
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