By Andrew Morrow, IFAD
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Amid the hustle and bustle of the opening day of IFAD's 42nd Governing Council, a sizable audience gathered to gain an insight into IFAD's Recipes for Change campaign. There was a hint of stardust in the air as the heavyweight panel comprised of ECG director Margarita Astralaga and the Moroccan and Italian ambassadors to the UN in Rome were joined by Italian celebrity chef Carlo Cracco.
In her opening remarks, Astralaga emphasized the urgent need to work with smallholders now in order to equip them with the innovative skills and tools necessary to enable them to thrive in climate change altered environments.
"That is why we are here having this discussion, knowing that smallholders are the most vulnerable communities to climate change" she remarked.
Those present were captivated by chef Cracco recounting his experience of visiting IFAD projects in Cambodia and Morocco where he saw first-hand how IFAD-supported funded projects work with farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change. As videos of his two journeys played in the background, Chef Cracco highlighted the importance of shining a light on the difficulties that climate change is causing rural smallholders in developing countries.
"It's important to discover these parts of countries," Cracco said. "Normally, you are a tourist. You see but you don't really see."
In congratulating IFAD on the success of the Recipes for Change programme, the Italian ambassador Pierfrancesco Sacco stressed the importance of the role that stars like Chef Cracco can play in capturing the public's imagination with regard to development issues.
"Programmes such as Recipes for Change draw our attention to the intersection of various dimensions, including the sustainability of agriculture and food systems as well as nutrition" said Sacco.
Rounding off proceedings, Moroccan ambassador Hassan Abouyoub echoed the earlier remarks of Astralaga in discussing the wider threat that climate change already poses to food systems throughout the world. Interestingly, he introduced a new dimension to the discussion by alluding to the impact of global trade. He focused primarily on North Africa, illustrating his point by referring to an array of fascinating examples including argan oil and olive oil.
"The threat is not just to one particular recipe, it is a threat to a model of food, survival, resilience and security. We see it now also because of the impact of the world market on our diets and food systems," opined Abouyoub.
Take a look at the recipes for change
Amid the hustle and bustle of the opening day of IFAD's 42nd Governing Council, a sizable audience gathered to gain an insight into IFAD's Recipes for Change campaign. There was a hint of stardust in the air as the heavyweight panel comprised of ECG director Margarita Astralaga and the Moroccan and Italian ambassadors to the UN in Rome were joined by Italian celebrity chef Carlo Cracco.
In her opening remarks, Astralaga emphasized the urgent need to work with smallholders now in order to equip them with the innovative skills and tools necessary to enable them to thrive in climate change altered environments.
"That is why we are here having this discussion, knowing that smallholders are the most vulnerable communities to climate change" she remarked.
Those present were captivated by chef Cracco recounting his experience of visiting IFAD projects in Cambodia and Morocco where he saw first-hand how IFAD-supported funded projects work with farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change. As videos of his two journeys played in the background, Chef Cracco highlighted the importance of shining a light on the difficulties that climate change is causing rural smallholders in developing countries.
"It's important to discover these parts of countries," Cracco said. "Normally, you are a tourist. You see but you don't really see."
In congratulating IFAD on the success of the Recipes for Change programme, the Italian ambassador Pierfrancesco Sacco stressed the importance of the role that stars like Chef Cracco can play in capturing the public's imagination with regard to development issues.
"Programmes such as Recipes for Change draw our attention to the intersection of various dimensions, including the sustainability of agriculture and food systems as well as nutrition" said Sacco.
Rounding off proceedings, Moroccan ambassador Hassan Abouyoub echoed the earlier remarks of Astralaga in discussing the wider threat that climate change already poses to food systems throughout the world. Interestingly, he introduced a new dimension to the discussion by alluding to the impact of global trade. He focused primarily on North Africa, illustrating his point by referring to an array of fascinating examples including argan oil and olive oil.
"The threat is not just to one particular recipe, it is a threat to a model of food, survival, resilience and security. We see it now also because of the impact of the world market on our diets and food systems," opined Abouyoub.
Take a look at the recipes for change