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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 NOVEMBER 2019 17 COMMERCIAL HOW does your morning orange juice affect our planet's sustainabil- ity crisis? Well, according to Profes- sor Suzanne Piscopo, what you eat everyday is actually significant to a whole host of other things – includ- ing global sustainability. "There are so many interlinkages," she explains. "For example, at break- fast, my choice to juice two local- ly-grown fresh oranges or buy the packaged option will have multiple implications: • for my health from a nutrition- al aspect • for the local farmers' income and crop-planning based on the demand for citrus fruit • for the retailers' stocking of fresh fruit or packet juice and where they source them • for natural resources usage (trees for carton, water for pro- duction, fuel for energy) and harm to nature in relation to processing the juice and pro- ducing the juice packaging • and even for what happens to inedible components (the or- ange peel could be conserved and used to make candied peel, for instance, or could end up in a landfill)." Prof Piscopo goes on to explain that, in just one example, there are numerous stakeholders involved – and each could play a role in making more effective use of resources. "As a result it becomes clear that both individuals and businesses need to be responsible for their decisions if we want sustainability to be imple- mented now." It is, literally and metaphorically, food for thought. And Professor Pis- copo's perspective as a Home Econo- mist is particularly thought-provok- ing for individuals who are struggling to understand the role they can play in improving our future. "Historically, and in contemporary times, the vision of Home Economics has always been to make the best use of available resources for the well- being of families," she continues. "It looks at food, health and nutrition, personal finance and consumer af- fairs, relationships with others, and the various interlinkages between them all. It also considers how deci- sions one makes within the home can have a broader impact on others out- side it. All this is actually the essence of sustainability, as well as its three pillars of health and environmental issues, economic issues, and social issues." With this insight in mind, Profes- sor Piscopo has been invited to speak next week at Malta's first ever Sus- tainability Forum. Co-sponsored by some of the island's most forward- thinking businesses, namely APS Bank, PwC, GO, GasanMamo and Cool, the Forum will take place on November 14 at The Westin Drag- onara Resort. The Forum will feature a panel of top local and international speak- ers, who will present practical cases about how to move Malta's sustaina- bility agenda forward. The President of Malta, George Vella, will open the Forum, followed by a keynote speech by José Herrera, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Develop- ment, and Climate Change. Other speakers will include Adrien Laba- eye – Sharing Cities Fellow and PhD researcher at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Carl Pratt – Founder of Future Planet, and Sustainable Busi- ness Consultant; and Sustainability Strategist Tamara Fenech. The over-arching theme at this year's Forum is the 'Thinking Citi- zen', and its main objective is to raise awareness on the topic of sus- tainability, thus empowering Malta's citizens to make conscious decisions towards achieving a sustainable life. Professor Piscopo, who is based within the Department of Health, Physical Education and Consumer Studies in the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta, believes that the Forum could make a big dif- ference in shaping the conversation around sustainability here in Malta. "The Malta Sustainability Fo- rum will undoubtedly serve to raise awareness among the various players active along the production and con- sumption chain," she explains. "It will highlight the most pressing local challenges, whether they are being addressed, and what individual, busi- ness or policy changes should make a positive difference." Targeting both consumers and businesses, the general public is in- vited to attend the Forum, and Pro- fessor Piscopo hopes that many will be there. "The notion that each ac- tion, whatever its size, could make a difference with respect to promoting local and global sustainability will only be acknowledged and acted up- on if we nurture an attitude of indi- vidual responsibility among people," she states. "Without doubt, the Forum is set to be a transformative starting point for citizens to realise just how much power they have to change the fu- ture, one glass of orange juice at a time." Tickets to the Malta Sustainabil- ity Forum start at €20, including a networking lunch. To view the full agenda and register for the Forum, please visit www.maltasustainabili- tyforum.com Everything is interlinked In this interview ahead of the Malta Sustainability Forum, Home Economist and University of Malta associate professor Suzanne Piscopo explains the Sustainability Web – and the role everyone plays in it "Both individuals and businesses need to be responsible for their decisions if we want sustainability to be implemented now" "The notion that each action, whatever its size, could make a difference with respect to promoting local and global sustainability will only be acknowledged and acted upon if we nurture an attitude of individual responsibility among people" Suzanne Piscopo