Is it possible to guarantee sufficient food and water to the world population? And what about increasing alimentary safeness or coming up with new solution and options able to take care of the biodiversity of the planet? These are the questions that are at the base of EXPO 2015, in other worlds the challenges that the world is proposing to the whole humanity. A real debate is being built up day by day through events, exhibitions, conventions and meetings.
To understand the importance of what EXPO 2015 is dealing with, you could just think about the fact that its theme is also considered one of the main objectives of the United Nations in this millennium, which is divided into five main branches:
-Eliminating extreme hunger and poverty, in particular reducing by the 50% the world population that is suffering by starvation nowadays (at the moment about 900 million people do not have a regular diet);
-Reducing by two thirds infant mortality of children who still have not turned five years old.
-Improving the health conditions of mothers, in particular reducing by three fourths maternal mortality;
-Guaranteeing environmental sustainability, in particular by stimulating policies for a sustainable growth so as to invert the trend of loss of resources, and so reducing the process of elimination of the biodiversity;
-Develop a common project and sense of cooperation for a sustainable growth.
By following this pattern, the theme that is being proposed by such event is divided into three main categories. The first category is the scientific-technological one and it endorses scientific considerations, production methods, public policies, rules that regulate alimentary safeness and the quality of food for a balanced and sustainable growth of all the individuals, of the agricultural production systems, of livestock, etc. The second category is the social and cultural one: within such sectors are all the scientific considerations connected with the alimentary education aimed at improving the consumption without harming the environment, on the one hand, and at reducing the gap between different cultures with their own alimentary traditions, on the other hand. The third and last one has to do with cooperation and development; it represents all the methods and tools of cooperation aiming at reducing world hunger, malnutrition, social unbalances for what concerns access to food. In other worlds this last branch is the one that endorses all the programs with as objective the one of seeking efficient investments in terms of development in poor rural and urban areas, especially in developing countries.
Why is the exposition new in its genre? Basically the innovative part is the attention that is given to the visitor. The challenge that visitors have to undergo is developing the theme within all its components, which mean bringing such theme to life in every declination possible, thus also in the physical structures dedicated to the exposition itself. It come as a direct consequence that EXPO 2015 has decided to adopt some particular tools so as to concretely transmit its theme to visitors. Among the we can quote the architectures (which will resemble the theme), events (which should represent the theme alive), food and beverage (typical of different parts of the world, which would ease the access to other cultures). As it is possible to understand, the main challenge of EXPO is that of representing its message in all the aspects which are included at the venue.
Moreover, the theme of the exposition is the result of the union of some factor which are enriching it and represent its main pillars. Nature, evolution, production and consumption are definitely what arouse our interest most and they seem to be concatenate with each other. Our history has implied a constant evolution which has increased the interaction with nature, in most of the cases in a negative way. New forms of production stemming from new technologies and a more rational approach to consumption could help humanity to improve its relationship with nature.
In any case, if we needed a term which could well resemble the whole exposition and its message, such term is definitely “sustainability”. Such message does permeate the whole exposition and its contents. Such concept is especially centre on a sustainable future for our society and our world. Such message is to be transmitted placing at the forefront of our attention the respect for both the environment and the community. The exposition itself aims at taking place without harming the environment, thus sustainability is not only a message but also a way of acting.
Overall, is it possible to guarantee to the whole humanity a healthy, sufficient and sustainable diet? It is on questions like this that EXPO 2015 bases its challenge. Through different steps, such as the technological and scientific approach or the fight against inequalities, the exposition will try to face directly all these problems. The main tool is of course travelling around the world in a 100 thousands-square metres area.