SUSTAINABLE GASTRONOMY DAY 2022

Every year on 18^th June, the world celebrates Sustainable Gastronomy Day. Observed for the first time in 2017, this celebration is led by the UN General Assembly, UNESCO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The correct explanation of what sustainable gastronomy really is comes from FAO: “Gastronomy is sometimes called the art of food. It can also refer to a style of cooking from a particular region. In other words, gastronomy often refers to local food and cuisine. Sustainability is the idea that something (e.g. agriculture, fishing or even preparation of food) is done in a way that is not wasteful of our natural resources and can be continued into the future without being detrimental to our environment or health.” In other words, sustainable gastronomy is a way of preparing food that that takes into consideration where the ingredients come from, how the food is grown and how it reaches our local grocery stores.

Although awareness around sustainability has grown in recent years, there is still much to be done. An international day that focuses on promoting a lifestyle change by celebrating seasonal ingredients and small producers, while respecting the environment and preserving our natural resources, is today more relevant than ever. As it often happens, improvement can only be achieved through collaboration. As far as our company is concerned, we are very much involved both with our local suppliers and with our clients as well, in order to achieve the perfect match in the greenest, possible way.

Strong signals come from consumers who are more and more interested in plant-forward eating patterns, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and scouting for plant-based alternatives to meat. They are also very conscious about what materials are used to wrap and protect food: if glass and stainless-steel containers are back in use in millions of households all over the world, it is up to us who are in this business to supply sustainable packaging solutions that decrease the use of non-biodegradable plastic and reduce the impact on the environment.

Since FAO estimated that around one third of the world’s food is lost or wasted every year, sustainable gastronomy must entail reducing food waste as well: not only in kitchens but throughout the entire supply chain. In this perspective, we are committed on many fronts: if our new, tiny formats can help people all over the world waste less, it is also our responsibility to manage logistics in a safer, greener way. We privilege sea freight, as it produces only 0,7% emissions compared to air freight. It is also so strictly regulated that – as a matter of fact – it is one of the most advanced ways of transporting goods both in terms of pollution containment and decreased energy consumption.