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A stage in the middle of wineries.
Covered chairs and tables with baskets full of vegetables and fruits: lettuce, onions, mangoes, tomatoes and peppers.
This is how the municipal Micro Food Bank of Cerro Navia, a commune on the outskirts of the Chilean capital, has received the delegation of the Ministerial Meeting on Low Emission Food Systems to show on the ground how this idea that was born from social organizations already has a space to receive tons of food that had been discarded.
Today they are given a just destiny: to be at the table of hundreds of families that otherwise would not have access to a plate of food.
The autumn morning of this Friday, April 14, began with a tour through the aisles where donations are deposited.
One by one, the representatives of the 24 countries and international organizations toured the warehouse to learn more about this project that allows, for example, to supply common pots in vulnerable populations.
Then came the welcome from the host and mayor of Cerro Navia, Mauro Tamayo, where he highlighted the role of social organizations, the food industry and political will as the main axes to move towards objectives such as reducing hunger and generating less waste.
“The time of diagnoses and gathering information is over.
Today we must act”, said the mayor of the only commune that has its own food bank available to the community.
“Here we have an excellent example of public-private solidarity, of citizens and of different actors for a better planet, prosperity and better people.
So I think it is an example that we have to replicate within Chile and in other countries of the world", also pointed out Eve Crowley, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, a collaborator of the event together with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Esteban Valenzuela, Minister of Agriculture of Chile, believes that it has been a historic meeting, since normally the ministries of this portfolio tend to be defensive when it comes to addressing methane (CH4), since more drastic measures are taken in the context of the climate emergency.
It is a complex equation to try to generate food and maintain, despite problems such as rising inputs and the aging of the rural population, more production with less use of factors that are accelerating climate change.
“A third of the problem is methane and it is necessary to act more efficiently and effectively on methane, but that requires convergent funds,” Valenzuela told América Futura.
Two days of talks, panels and work tables in which different technological packages have been announced that will allow progress in the three lines that include waste, rice cultivation and livestock.
The Chilean minister appreciated that Spain has agreed to jointly organize, with the support of the Global Methane Hub, this event that brought together 24 countries from five continents, who have worked for two days to strengthen the articulation of the ministers and international organizations related to agriculture , confirmed a second second date in Spain.
“We want to be a bridge with Africa and Southeast Asia, where there is great rice production, but also a lot of poverty.
We want to get the most developed countries and also those with medium development to contribute to this task,” said Valenzuela.
Visit of the international delegation to the food bank in the commune of Cerro Navia in Chile.sofia yanjari
A comprehensive solution
"I always say that food production and the agri-food sector is not the problem, it is also the solution and part of the fundamental solution," Spanish agriculture minister Luis Planas explained to América Futura.
His visit to Chile on the occasion of this international meeting has served to strengthen relations between the two governments and learn first-hand about the policies in the field of agriculture and food in this country, exchanging ideas such as the Cerro Navia food bank, in which Spain has vast experience through the National Federation of Food Banks.
Planas also highlighted his country's experience in appellations of origin and protected geographical indications, the recently adopted food chain law and also agricultural insurance, of which he is a pioneer in Europe and the world.
"Taking into account the experience of Spain, in everything that refers to animal nutrition, changing the eating habits of livestock production is very important to reduce methane emissions," said Planas.
“What we also want is that in this response that we are giving to the climate crisis, there is not a single solution.
There are various solutions and approaches that are compatible with each other.
Planas was confident that the second edition will convene a greater number of participants and that the primary sector will be involved in solving the issues.
“Here we are not talking about fighting against people, but against emissions.
Therefore, our farmers and ranchers must also be actors in this process of change”.