Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life - Expo 2015

Hello everybody,

I know I haven’t uploaded anything new for a while, but I do have to admit I’ve been quite busy lately.

Anyway, in spite of everything, I managed to cut some time out  to talk about something most of you guys have probably heard of as Expo Milano 2015, this huge event taking place in Milan. I know some may be wondering, “What does this event have to do with the blog you’re running?” – completely legitimate question. But that’s quite easy to understand: just go back to the title to find out the answer yourselves. Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”.

So nope, this post won’t talk about any specific recipe nor will it be giving advice or instructions on how to deal with problems that may arise in the kitchen. On the contrary, today’s post will be entirely dedicated to the topic I mentioned before, which means it will somehow differ from those I’ve published so far. The reason I came up with this idea is that Expo 2015 is probably the largest exhibition area that is actually celebrating food itself, considering it more like a “mirror” reflecting those nuances linked with different countries and cultures rather than a simple good.

During the five-month period the event will be held, most of the pavilions will indeed present themes related to the way food and eating are interpreted by the 145 countries involved in the project. Among the great number of themes, particular attention will be given to some important global issues, such as famine and agricultural development in rural areas. In fact, the aim of the event is first and foremost that of ensuring people worldwide the right to food, which is at the top of the agenda of many governments and organizations operating all over the world and represents a real challenge.

One of the major features of Expo 2015 is its innovative structure, a giant exhibition site covering one million square meters. Such a big space means the possibility for the participating countries to showcase their products and most important findings related to the themes presented during the event.

Furthermore, about 150 restaurants, bars, food & beverage corners, kiosks and street food stations will be operating throughout the entire event, which means Expo will somehow resemble one big restaurant. Eataly, Slowfood and Ferrarini are just some of the most-known brands involved in the project; they will offer a unique and varied selection of fine cuisine, allowing visitors to get to know more about the different traditions and cultures of people across the world.

During the event, as many as 20 million visitors are expected to visit Expo 2015, and rarely has the city of Milan, and its hinterland, had the chance to play such an important role in the past.

The event will, thus, represent a big opportunity for Italy and its people, and for all the countries participating in it. Expo will be neither a local fair nor a national exhibition. On the contrary, Expo will be an international event gathering millions of people from different countries with different habits but bound together by a common goal: taking a stand in the fight against food poverty.

Besides the fact that the 2015 edition will offer its visitors the possibility to explore the exhibition area in a very innovative and interactive way, so that everyone can be actively involved in the tour (from kids to adults ), of great importance are both the structure and materials used for the pavilions and clusters. The rule to be respected was that materials had to be environmentally-friendly and green elements had to be used.

In the end, I think Expo should be considered as an important occasion to increase global awareness both on how important food is within our society and how often we actually waste large quantities of food.

Should you happen either to read this post or be in Milan during the event, I personally advise you get more info about Expo 2015, and consider the possibility of buying a ticket and take on this journey that combines both the pleasure of savoring gastronomic delicacies of different countries and the opportunity to have a general overview of some important issues. 

Stefano.

P.s: Click on here to visit the official link of Expo Milano 2015.