JUNE 5 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATED SINCE 1972...

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!

June 5 is World Environment Day and has been celebrated on this day every year since 1972... This year, the spotlight is on air pollution... 9 out of 10 people live in areas where air quality levels are below World Health Organization standards. Air pollution is largely caused by human activities, among which agricultural production plays a crucial role as it generates 24 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This figure is higher than industry, which accounts for 21 per cent of the total, and transport, which accounts for a “mere” 14 per cent. "Air pollution is a concern, since it is also closely linked to climate change, which is a threat to global health and to the food chain," explained Anna Ruggerini, Chief Operating Officer of the Barilla Foundation. Climate change is also harmful to agriculture, "as it reduces the quantity and quality of food supplies. A number of studies have shown that without effective climate change mitigation measures each increase of one degree Celsius in the average temperature of the planet will reduce the average global yield of wheat, rice, corn and soy, and may also lead to a decrease in nutrients such as protein, iron and zinc". What can be done to reverse this trend? The possible solutions come from industry itself, which must promote a more sustainable agriculture, but also from people’s choices. This is why it is important to adopt sustainable diets that are good for the health of our planet and for our health too. The Mediterranean diet already meets these nutritional requirements. In fact, it is the model on which the Double Food and Environmental Pyramid promoted by the Barilla Foundation is based. To save our Planet, we can start from what we eat! Source: Barilla Foundation