Lessons from Italy

Endorsing Sustainability, nutrition and the preservation of protected ingredients

Seventy-five percent of the world's poor live in rural areas in developing countries, yet only 4% of official development assistance goes to agriculture. Addressing these concerns is the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

which was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, IFAD is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

The IFAD seeks to ensure that underprivileged rural people have better access to, and the skills and organisation they need to take advantage of natural resources, especially secure access to land and water, and improved natural resource management and conservation practices, improved agricultural technologies and effective production services, a broad range of financial services, transparent and competitive markets for agricultural inputs and produce, as well as opportunities for rural off-farm employment and enterprise development, and local and national policy and programming.

Earlier this year, Italy and IFAD signed a new framework partnership agreement with input from the Italian Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Environment, the Italian development agency, and Cassa Depositi e

Prestiti, an investment banking group. Since 2010, Italy has given more than €85 million to IFAD. Italy’s cooperation with the fund mainly concerns: supporting farmers and vulnerable groups, developing production chains, including boosting financial services in rural areas, and food and nutritional security, with a special focus on sub-saharan Africa. Commenting on the occasion, Her

Excellency Rita Giuliana Mannella Ambassador of Italy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives - said, “The Embassy of Italy is very much engaged in promoting awareness about the importance of the United Nations Organisations based in Rome. Rome is currently the 3rd most important hub of the United Nations - after New York and Geneva - and most probably the one with the noblest of mandates: to promote food for all and achieve the eradication of hunger. We are very happy to have cosponsored this project with IFAD in this Country because we take very seriously our role as Host Country for these very dynamic Organisations devoted to the wellbeing of mankind.”

“Moreover, Italy is an advocate of the Mediterranean Diet – since it is healthy

and sustainable for the planet - and the conversations had on its benefits held at the event were extremely interesting. Italy is globally the most sustainable country in the agriculture industry. We are also the first country in the world for DOP (Protected Designation of Origin – EU Geographical Indication) and IGP (Protected Geographical ation) products, certifications that are aimed at protecting traditional products – something that should also be introduced in Sri Lanka to protect your excellences, such as

Ceylon Tea, Cinnamon and other spices. Our attention to sustainability and nutrition have also seen Italians as founders of a number of pro-sustainability movements, such as Slow Food, Km 0 and Zero Waste, grassroots movements in favour of our environment and the preservation of our heritage. The Conference was the occasion to provide food for thought (excuse the pun).” continued

Ambassador Mannella. To conclude she added “Our engagement starts from the assumption that we don’t have a ‘PLANET B’.”

Italy’s cooperation with the fund mainly concerns: supporting farmers and vulnerable groups, developing production chains, including boosting financial services in rural areas, and food and nutritional security