New Rules Needed for Food Market, According to Major Study

BRUSSELS, June 15, 2011 -

A new regulatory framework is needed for the food commodity
market, according to a new study presented in Brussels today by the
Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN).

The study was unveiled at an open debate at the European
Parliament, organised by the Barilla Center for Food &
Nutrition and hosted by Mairead McGuinness, Member of the European
Parliament (EPP, Ireland). A large number of participants from
European Union institutions, trade associations, businesses, and
civil society gathered to discuss about food security in relation
to continued volatility of food commodities.

The workshop focused on the economic and political conditions
impacting food commodities. Participants discussed how the EU can
help find ways to support the development of food markets and
political governance instruments that would guarantee the
accessibility, sustainability and quality of food.

“Food security is at the heart of food supply chain issues. In
the current global economic climate, access to affordable, safe and
nutritional food is critical for communities,” said Guido Barilla,
Chairman of the BCFN.

According to MEP Mairead McGuinness, “A world where many are
hungry and others well-fed is a world threatened by instability. By
2050 the world population will have grown by over 2 billion, with
many of these born into poverty in the developing world. The
challenge to our land base is enormous; we will need to increase
production by 70% by 2050 to provide us with food, fuel and
fibre,”

“Those of us in political life who have a deep understanding of
agricultural production, new technologies and tried and tested
methods have a duty to give strong political leadership and to keep
the food security challenge to the fore,” she added.

Commenting on the economic and geopolitical aspects of food
security, Mario Monti, economist and member of the Advisory Board
of the BCFN, said: “Recent years have been marked by a sequence of
crises worldwide: a global financial crisis and serious economic
downturn, and social and political crises in a number of countries
that rightly received the attention of the international community.
However the food crisis, even as a less visible emergency, also
drives social unrest, inequality and global conflicts. The Barilla
Center for Food & Nutrition believes that governments and
policy makers globally need to keep food high the agenda as one of
the most pressing challenges that the world is facing.”

Note to Editors

The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition is a
multidisciplinary think tank focusing on issues of food and
nutrition and their relations to economics, medicine, diet,
sociology and the environment. The work of the Barilla Center for
Food & Nutrition is backed by an authoritative Advisory Board
composed of Barbara Buchner, Director of the Climate Policy
Initiative in Venice, Mario Monti and John M. Reilly, economists,
Gabriele Riccardi, endocrinologist, Camillo Ricordi, surgeon and
scientist, Claude Fischler, sociologist  and Umberto
Veronesi, oncologist.

You may watch the event at href="www.barillacfn.com/">www.barillacfn.com

For additional information: Barilla - Giuseppe Coccon - Tel. (+39)0521-2621 - info at barillacfn.com - www.barillacfn.it