Sustainable development is
our duty to future generations, President Sergio Mattarella said
Friday at the inauguration of the Terra Madre (Mother Earth)
Salone del Gusto, an international event dedicated to preserving
biodiversity and securing a better food future for all.
The theme of this year's edition, taking place through
September 26 in Turin, is 'Loving the Earth'.
"The UN 2030 Agenda...reminds us that today, sustainable
development is a vital precondition for humanity and the
planet," Mattarella said. "It is our duty towards our children
and grandchildren. We cannot legitimately consume their future
ahead of time".
"Wasting food while so many go hungry is immoral,
anti-social and anti-economic," Italy's president said, hailing
the work of activists, associations and grassroots movements who
"have developed food redistribution programs benefiting
thousands of families, including in Italy".
Mattarella went on to make an impassioned plea to the
European Union, which he says is irreplaceable and must not fail
in its task of caring for the wellbeing of its population.
"The EU could be a credible driver of a new phase of
development," Mattarella said.
"If the EU fails to rise to its own task, there won't be
anyone else to replace her. Europe must be mindful of its
balancing function in the world," the Italian leader concluded.
Photo: Mattarella greets Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini in
Turin
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