SLOW FOOD FOUNDER CARLO PETRINI AND TOP CHEF JAMIE OLIVER ENDORSE THE BARILLA FOUNDATION'S MILAN PROTOCOL

The founder of Slow Food points to the need for a Global Agreement on Food, which is endorsed today by international cooking phenomenon Jamie Oliver, one of the world's most popular and socially committed chefs.

Turin, 24 October 2014 - Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, and Jamie Oliver, one of the world's most popular chefs, today gave their endorsement to the Milan Protocol (www.protocollodimilano.it / www.milanprotocol.com), promoted by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Foundation at Slow Food's international food festival "Salone del Gusto." The Protocol aims to raise awareness about the urgency of taking action to tackle the challenges involved in making the global food system truly sustainable. Specifically, it calls for a 50% reduction by 2020 of the huge amount of food wasted in the world, the promotion of a more sustainable agricultural system, and the war on hunger and obesity through healthy lifestyles.

"The Milan Protocol offers an extraordinary opportunity to focus attention, opportunities for change and, most importantly, the planning skills of the institutions, civil society and enterprise on a concern we all share. Slow Food has been contributing right from the outset to the process of drafting the Protocol: for those who sign and support, it represents a formal commitment; clear facts that open the way to equally clear production and government policies, which can be translated into actions that can be measured in the future," says Carlo Petrini, "It is only through the work of many people, in every corner of the planet, that we can pursue our vision of food which is accessible to everyone and which doesn't compromise the health of the planet and living organisms."

Jamie Oliver is a chef and food activist who has transformed the lifestyles of people all over the world and their approach to food, placing the emphasis on quality, sustainability and saving money for families.

"My belief is that it's every child's human right to be fed properly and to be educated about food, where it comes from and how it affects their body. However, this can only happen if we rectify the mess that the global food system has found itself in today. -  asserts Jamie Oliver - The Milan Protocol joins people, businesses and governments in one united front so that together we can challenge the status quo, demand more ethical and sustainable practices in the food industry, and secure a better future for our children. By coming together as one global voice with one common goal, we can ensure positive, lasting change."