On Saturday, December 14, from 10:45 to 19:00, Palazzo Giureconsulti will host the reference event of Italian organic. Hosted by Patrizio Roversi and Tessa Gelisio, the Festa del BIO will discuss the importance of food choices for safeguarding the health of people and ecosystems, with a focus on the organic Mediterranean diet.
The day will offer a rich program that alternates talks, tastings, games, workshops and the show cooking “All the colors of environmentally friendly cuisine” with chef Simone Salvini.
An invitation to discover the value of organic, because when we choose a food we also choose how it is grown. Food plays a fundamental role in protecting health, biodiversity and in combating climate change. Hence the importance of promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles and diets, favoring a diet based on organic food, with a reduced intake of meat, attentive to seasonality, proximity of production and the containment of food waste. It is therefore essential to correctly inform citizens and promote food education initiatives, starting from school canteens.
The importance of sustainable and conscious food choices will guide the seventh edition of the Festa del BIO, scheduled for Saturday 14 December at Palazzo Giureconsulti, in Piazza Mercanti 2 in the heart of Milan, a free event open to all.
Organized by FederBio, with the participation of Legambiente, Slow Food Italia, AssoBio, Lipu, WWF Italia, ISDE, NaturaSì and Crédit Agricole, the Milan stage of the Festa del BIO will aim to reaffirm the centrality of organic as a development model for the entire agri-food system, underlining its fundamental role in safeguarding the planet and ensuring a better future for new generations.
Researchers, journalists and experts will explain how organic food, together with waste reduction, contributes to reducing environmental impact and improving the quality of life. Organic agronomic practices are, in fact, able to preserve soil fertility and biodiversity and, furthermore, thanks to their greater capacity to absorb CO2, they also represent a valid ally in mitigating climate effects.
To promote the adoption of healthy and sustainable eating styles, the Festa del BIO will alternate moments of study and fun for the whole family with talks, tastings, contests, workshops and show cooking to discover the beauty and goodness of organic. There will also be a market exhibition with spaces dedicated to organic producers Made in Italy.
“Food choices are a powerful tool for protecting people’s health and natural habitats, which is why we believe it is essential to raise citizens’ awareness of the value of the food they bring to the table – underlines Maria Grazia Mammuccini , President of FederBio – The Festa del BIO is an opportunity to introduce, in a fun way, the world of organic as a sustainable lifestyle. It is an event designed to share knowledge, experiences and flavors, demonstrating that respect for ecosystems and biodiversity requires everyone’s contribution. Organic agronomic practices not only improve health, soil fertility and biodiversity but also represent a concrete response to climate change. It is therefore essential to encourage the agroecological transition and at the same time promote the consumption of organic foods, creating a food culture that respects the environment. With the Festa del BIO we want to inspire families, young people and communities to become protagonists of a positive change, in harmony with the planet through the adoption of sustainable and balanced nutritional styles”.
The Festival will begin at 10.45 with the inaugural event “ From the field to the table: organic as a conscious choice to protect the planet ”. The meeting will explore the value of food as a tool to generate positive impacts, protect well-being and reduce environmental impact, charting the path towards a more sustainable future, with a focus on the importance of introducing food education in schools to promote sustainable and balanced nutritional styles in new generations. Speakers will include: Dario Nardella, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development – European Parliament; Maria Chiara Gadda , Vice-President of the Committee on Agriculture – Chamber of Deputies; Maria Grazia Mammuccini , President of FederBio ; Ettore Prandini, President of Coldiretti, and Barbara Nappini, President of Slow Food Italy. Stefano Ciafani , President of Legambiente, Nicoletta Maffini , President of AssoBio and Stefano Caserini , Professor of Climate Change Mitigation at the Polytechnic University of Milan, will also make a significant contribution.
The preliminary results of the IMOD ( Italian Mediterranean Organic Diet) research will then be presented with the campaign “ Il Bio dentro di Noi ”, promoted by FederBio, AssoBio and Consorzio Il Biologico. The analysis, conducted by the Department of Biomedicine of the University of Tor Vergata as part of the “MOOD” project of the Ministry of Health, compared the impact and benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet and the 100% organic one, highlighting how the latter offers superior benefits for the health of people and the environment. Various parameters were evaluated: the nutritional quality of the usual diet compared to the 100% organic Mediterranean diet, the Mediterranean adequacy index, the environmental impact (water and CO2 consumption), the intestinal microbiota, body composition and the metabolome.