One of humanity’s greatest challenges is feeding a constantly growing population without damaging the environment, through participative and inclusive processes. This target should be achieved while preserving the resources for future generations, and asserting firmly that the right to healthy, sufficient and nutritious food is a fundamental human right.
How can we win this global challenge? We have to commit personally, as citizens, as members of the civil society and as businesses, and to take on the commitment of asking local, national and international institutions to take charge of specific initiatives in order to achieve a great commitment, a tool of global citizenship that affirm the right to food as a fundamental human right towards the upcoming UN Millennium Goals.
This is the Milan Charter: a concrete and feasible manifesto that engages everyone, men and women, citizens of this planet, in the fight against undernourishment, malnutrition and waste, while promoting an equal access to natural resources and a sustainable management of production. In fact, the Milan Charter explores the theme of Expo Milano 2015 “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” through four interconnected perspectives: food, energy, identity and the dynamics of coexistence.
The Milan Charter begins with the analysis and acknowledgment of our global world today: this is the moment of awareness and recognition of the priorities of the contemporary world. Then the Milan Charter is articulated through reflections and discussions on how we would like the situation to develop and what we ought to do for a more sustainable world: this is the section dedicated to the commitments. The commitments are taken on by citizens, associations and businesses who declare their personal responsibility and firmly ask governments and institutions to undertake measures in order to contribute to the Millennium Developments Goals as stated by the United Nations.
It is evident that the issues singled out by Expo Milan 2015 are of fundamental importance. A different and better future is at stake: signing the Milan Charter is a great deed of active participation to constructing this future.