Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1510560
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 OCTOBER 2023 The project MedSNAIL - Sus- tainable Networks for Agro- food Innovation Leading in the Mediterranean, was presented under the 2014-2020 ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Pro- gramme with the aim of pro- moting the development of traditional small-scale agri-food value chains, combining the en- hancement of market potential and socio-environmental sus- tainability. The project's activities were de- veloped based on Slow Food Foundation's vision of a world in which all the people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. This approach is based on a concept of food that is defined by three interconnected principles: Good, clean and fair. The partners of the project are The Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (Spain), Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity (Italy), American University of Beirut (Lebanon), Rural Women's Development Society (Palestine), University of Sfax (Tunisia), Gozo Regional De- velopment Foundation (Malta), Women for Cultural Develop- ment (Jordan). The Gozo Regional Develop- ment Foundation organized the final event of the project in Gozo on 27 October 2023, with the participation of public local, re- gional and national authorities, as well as farmers, artisans and trade associations. The event focused on the good, clean, fair concept developed within MedSNAIL, and on the steps be- ing taken by the Gozo Artisan Network to ensure that the Gozo brand is valued and protected in the proper manner. Ideas were floated on how to use branding, adherence to standards, and technology to control the prove- nance and authenticity of prod- ucts labelled as made in Gozo. Not so long ago, Malta has ranked highest in the world for the fragility of its biodiversity and ecosystems. The Biodiversi- ty and Ecosystem Services (BES) index, formulated by the Swiss Re Institute, marked 100 per cent of Malta's ecosystems as frag- ile. Included in this biodiversity, of course, is food biodiversity, which, although often forgotten, is the basis of many ecosystems. Since the 1990s, 75% of global agricultural crop varieties have disappeared and three quarters of the world's food come from only 12 plant and five animal species. This loss has direct con- sequences on the food we eat. Out of around 30,000 edible natural species, just 30 crops provide for 95% of the entire world's nutritional requirements. Of these 30, wheat, rice and corn provide more than 60% of the calories consumed worldwide. The global food production system is based on intensive agriculture, which relies on syn- thetic pesticides and fertilizers to produce highly processed, calorie-dense foods packed with additives, preservatives, sugars, and saturated fats. This is creating imbalances in envi- ronmental, economic, and social dynamics, particularly in more vulnerable countries, generating many public health problems like obesity and malnutrition. Within the Slow Food philoso- phy, good food is synonymous with quality, flavoursome and healthy food. Slow Food is work- ing to promote production, processing, and consumption models that are as sustainable and healthy as possible for both individuals and the planet. In the collective imagination, a healthy diet is often associated with pri- vation, calorie restriction, and monotony. In reality, eating can easily be healthy and enjoyable at the same time. The food that's good for us is also good for the environment and the community. Clean food means a production that doesn't harm the environment, and at the same time doesn't jeopardize traditional produc- tion methods or kill biodiversity and small-scale establishments. Some products need to be re- discovered and put back on the table, and producers need to be supported and to have their sto- ries told. Yara Dowani, the co-founder and spokesperson for Om Sleiman farm in Palestine, explains that "eating fair food means eating clean, local, healthy food, having food that's equally available and affordable for everyone, farmers getting what they deserve for their work: recognition, respect, fair payment. It means consumers knowing where their food comes from and having freedom of choice regarding what they eat and consume. Anything different is unfair". Consumption patterns need to be mindful of social justice, and to be supportive of production methods that create fair con- ditions of work, and that are respectful of people and their rights. At the same time, they must be capable of generating adequate rewards. The aim is to promote production, processing, and consumption models that are as sustainable as possible for both individuals and the planet. The Gozo Regional Develop- ment Foundation is collaborat- ing with the Gozo Artisan Net- work and with the Ta' Kerċem Local Council in holding the first local market as a showcase of good, clean and fair food prod- ucts from Gozo. It will be held in Ta' Kerċem on the morning of Sunday 29 October. The idea is to have a family event that will embody the Slow Food philos- ophy by presenting the best in traditional food in the most ef- fective and community friendly way. For more information about the MedSNAIL project please visit the GRDF project website at the below address. There you will also find further details on the local market. https://medsnail.gozo-rdf.eu MedSNAIL, Sustainable Networks for Agro-food Innovation Leading in the Mediterranean, is a EU funded project under the ENI CBC Med Programme The MedSNAIL campaign on good, clean and fair food