SARA’S MESSAGE Often difficult times conceal within them changes that can become a precious source of inspiration. The pandemic has become the true litmus test of the basic principles espoused in international and national agendas since 2015. From the Milan Expo 2015 (Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life) to the now globally-recognized Agenda 2030 and through to the Paris Agreement, the world has now experienced, firsthand, the degree to which the balance between humanity and nature touches food, water, soil, biodiversity, and climate change, before reverberating onto human health and the economy. It is up to us to understand what this “being different” consists of. This is our call to take the path towards a new direction. We urge not just a restart, but a rebirth. Three keywords should guide this rebirth:
RECONNECT The rush towards efficiency and expediency that characterizes the current business-as-usual models leaves fundamental pieces behind. Accustomed to re-acting rather than acting thoughtfully, our contemporary society has been gradually dissociating from the complexities of life, from the ancient wisdom capable of pursuing common interests by finding a perfect balance between different interests. We need to reconnect to the different dimensions of life, breaking down the walls between science and ecology, finance and anthropology, economy and health. We need to weave our expertise together, by connecting farmers and entrepreneurs, producers and consumers, diplomats and youth, because only together can we effectively solve the challenges that impact us all. Reconnecting us back to the One Health Approach means functioning again as an ecosystem, in which the relationship of all the elements constitute the real strength. 4 | 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
FUTURE FOOD INSTITUTE
