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Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life

Tuesday, 5. May 2015 - 14:53

Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life

"Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" is the core theme of Expo Milano 2015. This common thread runs through all the events organized both within and outside the official Exhibition Site.

Expo Milano 2015 will provide an opportunity to reflect upon, and seek solutions to, the contradictions of our world. On the one hand, there are still the hungry (approximately 870 million people were undernourished in the period 2010-2012) and, on the other, there are those who die from ailments linked to poor nutrition or too much food (approximately 2.8 million deaths from diseases related to obesity or to being overweight in the same period). In addition, about 1.3 billion tons of foods are wasted every year. For these reasons, we need to make conscious political choices, develop sustainable lifestyles, and use the best technology to create a balance between the availability and the consumption of resources.

Reflection on the Expo theme becomes a time of sharing and celebration, involving conferences, events and performances, enhanced by the presence of the mascot Foody and the cheery characters who accompany him. Every aspect and every moment of, as well as every participant at, Expo Milano 2015 define and move forward the chosen theme: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.

Expo’s communication campaign

On November 2, Expo Milano 2015 launched its "Food is Life" advertising campaign. Developed by Havas Worldwide Milan and distributed across various media, this campaign illustrates the multiple meanings of "food" and the theme Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. Voiced by leading Italian actor Antonio Albanese, the ads examine food as nourishment, pleasure, taste, home, family, art, war, peace, affection and love. People argue for, fight for and work for food.

Broadcast from December 7, the second phase of the campaign, is dedicated to the many facets of the visitor experience at Expo Milano 2015. Starting from the theme of experience, including events, content, thematic tours and attention-grabbing architecture, the spot concludes with a simple question: "What will we do at Expo?” The third phase of the communication campaign: "Your journey around the world", airs from April 5. A visit to the Expo site becomes a real voyage of discovery of the planet’s myriad cultures: an unmissable and unique journey among peoples who have traveled from all around the world to offer visitors to Expo Milano 2015 their foods, cultures, traditions, and spectacular shows. A journey that describes “a place where cultures, traditions and flavors meet against a backdrop of outstanding architecture".

The landscape of Expo Milano 2015

Designed by internationally-renowned architects, the site comprises an area of 1.1 million square meters, easily accessible from Milan and the surrounding area. Expo Milano 2015 includes an exposition garden with more than 12,000 trees, water features and a canal. Reflecting the signature urban-planning style of the ancient Romans, the site is based on two wide avenues, the Cardo and the Decumano, which intersect at Piazza Italia. On these avenues stand the pavilions of the participating countries, the public squares and the areas dedicated to events and catering. Constructed to be energy-efficient and sustainable, the buildings are designed to be removed and reused after the event concludes.

Five variations on the theme

The site will host four thematic areas. These range from Pavilion Zero, which traces the history of humankind via its relationship with food, to the Future Food District, which explains how technology will change food storage, distribution, purchase, and consumption. Then there are the areas of the Children’s Park, where the young folk can learn about the themes of Expo Milano 2015 while having fun, and the Biodiversity Park, a large garden in which a number of our planet’s ecosystems are reproduced. In Milan itself, at the Triennale museum, will be Arts & Foods, an exhibition exploring how the relationship between food and art has changed over the centuries.

The power of collaboration

For the countries that chose not to have their own pavilions, Expo Milan 2015 has created an innovative mode of participation: the Cluster. These exhibition spaces bring together countries that all produce, or have a relationship with, a specific food. The nine Clusters are spread over a total area of 36,650 square meters.

They are:
• Rice
• Cocoa and Chocolate
• Coffee
• Fruits and Legumes
• Spices
• Cereals and Tubers
• Bio-Mediterraneum
• Islands, Sea and Food
• Arid Zones

Within each Cluster, videos, installations and photo exhibitions illustrate the history of the food or kind of food. Cooking demonstrations and tastings will take place, and there will also be a market, where visitors can discover these foods, presented directly by the people who cultivate them.

The importance of the territory

Cooperation is essential if we are to achieve the goal of ensuring sufficient food and food security throughout the world, which is what "Feeding the Planet" means. Expo Milano 2015 is the chosen location for confronting the issues of agriculture, sustainable development, and the struggle to combat hunger for the common good. The keywords here are: innovation, energy conservation, environmental protection and natural resources. The protagonists of this dialogue will be the participating countries, international organizations, Civil Society, and businesses.

Six months of events

Expo Milano 2015 ushers in a new model for the Universal Exhibition. For this is not only a showcase of the best technologies for a sustainable future, but a global, interactive event with thousands of cultural offerings both within and outside the exhibition site. Shows, concerts, conferences, cooking demonstrations, workshops and exhibitions will transform Expo Milano 2015 into an occasion for reflection as well as enjoyment.

Source: 
www.expo2015.org
Tags: 
Expo Milano 2015