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Dear friends,
This Newsletter concentrates on two important items:
Last Tuesday I attended the official launch of the European Technology Platform 'Food for Life' and hope that you find
my find report about that event of interest - see item 1.
Under item 2 you will find an update regarding the 9th edition of the European Vegetarian Congress, which will be held
in Riccione from 1 to 7 of October 2005. Please be so kind as to distribute the information to your own contacts and
channels. Thank you.
I hope that many of you will make their way to Italy and celebrate the twenty years of activity of the EVU.
Best regards
Herma Caelen
Secretariat
European Vegetarian Union
http://www.euroveg.eu
Content:
1. The European Technology Platform 'Food for Life'
2. The 9th edition of the European Vegetarian Congress
3. News
4. Diary
1. The European Technology Platform 'Food for Life'
The Lisbon Strategy aims at making Europe the most competitive, dynamic, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.
With that target in view, the European Commission/DG Research is supporting the concept of European Technology
Platforms (ETPs) to promote innovation in Europe. There are now 25 existing ETPs at various stages of development. The
size, nature and regional importance of the food and drink industry, which covers a market of 450 million consumers,
now also led to the creation of a European Technology Platform 'Food for Life'.
The umbrella for this project is the CIAA, a Brussels-based organisation representing the food and drink industry,
which employs over 4 million people (the complete agricultural section operates with more than 11 million people: 2,3%
of the population of the enlarged EU).
After a series of consultations and meetings, the official launch of the ETP 'Food for Life' took place on 5 July 2005
in Brussels, attended by representatives of all 25 EU member countries, scientists, industry and the media.
Within the frame of the ETP 'Food for Life', stakeholders of the food and drink sector will be developing a common
strategy with the aim of fostering competitiveness and delivering tangible benefits to the European consumers. The
scope of future activities of the platform has been described in a 'Vision document', which will eventually lead to a
'Strategic Research Agenda and Implementation plan' (expected at the beginning of 2006). This will set the path till
2020.
The task of the ETP is a highly complex one. The interests of the food industry will have to be balanced against the
demand of the consumers who have the power to make or break a strategy, like the lasting boycott of GMO products right
across Europe has shown very clearly.
One of the most important ETP-issues is health. Obesity and its associated health problems like type 2 diabetes, high
blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, arthritis and certain cancers (research suggests that 30-40% of cases
of cancer is causally-related to nutritional factors) are putting growing strain on health services right across
Europe.
Also the fact that the life expectancy of Europeans is increasing represents a challenge to be tackled: the number of
people aged over 80 years is estimated to increase by about 30% over the next 50 years. The aim is to work towards a
situation in which people survive to an advance age with their vigour and independence maintained, and with morbidity
and disability compressed into a relatively short period before death.
This initiative is very promising and will certainly lead to improvements in the production and distribution of food
and will also bring benefits for Mr. and Mrs. Europe. However, will this work have any positive impact on
vegetarianism? One would hope so because a vegetarian lifestyle has a most important and positive influence on
food-related diseases, obesity and the problems of an ageing population.
Unfortunately it takes just one quick look at the companies involved to get an answer: They are the heavyweights in
the
food and agriculture industry, including the European Meat Network and SEAFOODplus. It is not realistic to expect that
these powerful and influential managers, for whom animals are not sentient beings but just living substances and raw
materials, will invest time in any study pointing to the dangers of meat.
Furthermore the ETP-presence of companies working on genetically modified foods is striking. In this context the
comments of CIAA's president, Mr. Jean Martin, are as honest as they are enlightening: 'There is nothing wrong with
GMO
foods. Consumers reject the new foods for all the wrong reasons. A tragedy. Unfortunately the European biotech science
starts to lag behind and the EU-US gap is growing; scientists leave Europe. It is highly desirable to change
consumers'
perceptions. In the end science will prevail.'
Is a Brave New World just around the corner?
Herma Caelen/7 July 2005
CIAA: 'Food for Life'
http://212.123.1.64/etpciaaadmin/documents/BAT%20Brochure%20ETP.pdf
CIAA: 'UK Presidency of the EU'
http://212.123.1.64/etpciaaadmin/documents/BAT%20Brochure%20ETP.pdf
2. The 9th edition of the European Vegetarian Congress will be held in Riccione between the 1st and
7th of October, giving European vegetarians the chance to reunite in Italy. It will be the perfect occasion to
celebrate 20 years of activity of the European Vegetarian Union
Riccione with its interesting historical center is a city full of attractions, which offers a lot of entertainment.
The
lively and beautiful region is called the "green pearl" of the Adriatic. Riccione and Ceccarini Avenue, one of the
most
fashionable spots of the Riviera, have the most exclusive shops, boutiques and lively cafés for holiday enjoyment in
any season.
The congress will be also a good occasion to have a break, take part in excursions, pre- and post-congress tours,
which
are organised to give people a good time in Italy.
Just a few examples:
Daily excursion to Gradara, San Marino and Frasassi cave during the pre-congress week called 'art, relax and nature'.
Participants will be able to discover the benefits of Corevedico massages, which are kindly offered by the Centro
Corevedico Rimenese, under the supervision of Enrico Violanti, expert dietician and member of the AVI's Committee of
Medical Science.
During the congress there will be a free day to take part in other beautiful excursions to Gubbio and Urbino, Ferrara
and Ravenna, San leo and Verrucchio.
After the congress two different tours will cross Italy so that people can enjoy the real Italian lifestyle and visit
the major art cities.
The first trip will go to Tuscany and its grape gardens and end in Rome, after visiting Florence and Siena.
The second one will go to the north-east of Italy, arriving in Milan and include a visit to beautiful Venice and its
lagoon.
During the congress themes will be discussed, which are not only of national interest but are above all of interest on
a European scale, and which demonstrate vegetarianism's ability to help create a better world in which to live.
Important representatives of the world of international vegetarianism are among the list of people that have been
invited, together with a number of outstanding members of society and opinion leaders.
The congress will begin on 1st October with a party to celebrate World Vegetarian Day, a great chance to bring
together
people from a number of different walks of life; television personalities, medics, members of different associations
/society/ countries.
The main theme to be addressed on the 2nd October will be animal rights.
Guest of honour Tom Regan, one of the leaders of the Animal Freedom movement, will amongst other things present his
latest book "Empty Cages: Facing the Challenge of Animal Rights" due to be published in September here in Italy by
Sonda. Alongside Regan will be Massimo Filippi, editor of the Italian version of his new book "Empty Cages: Facing the
Challenge of Animal Rights"; Stefano Cagno, meeting coordinator; Silvia Amodio will present the splendid film
"Animalitŕ"; Marina Berati author of the book "How to become Vegan in 10 simple steps"; Hiren Cara, director of the
educational centre for Animal Rights - Bombay Beauty Without Cruelty; and Gianluca Felicetti, in charge of public
relations for the LAV.
On the 3rd October Gianni Tamino will coordinate the meeting "Sustainable Vegetarianism" at which journalists
Marinella
Correggia and Roberto Pinton will be present together with environmental philosopher Luciano Valle and Paul Turner,
director of the organization "Food for life."
The 5th October will be entirely dedicated to health issues. An open meeting has been arranged for the morning which a
number of medics will attend (Riccardo Trespidi, Luciana Baroni, Ottavio Bosello, Michela De Petris, George Guimaraes,
Leonardo Pinelli, Luciano Proietti and Gene Spiller). In the afternoon a "round table" event will be held exclusively
for medics, dieticians and journalists where they will have the chance to exchange ideas and propose new strategies
for
the application of the plant-based diet in the field of preventative medicine.
Participating medics will attain credit from the ECM section of the Ministry of Health.
The 6th October is the conclusive day of the event dedicated to vegetarian culture. The debate will be animated by Red
Ronnie and will address a number of topics from "Think Vegetarian: the roots of choice based upon non-violence"
(Luciano Capitini, Mao Valpiana) to "Being Vegetarian: from emotions to actions" with the presentation of different
campaigns and vegetarian movements in Italy and worldwide (Isaac Obiora Dikeocha e Cristina Romieri, Carmen Somaschi
).
The program of events is updated constantly. For further information you can visit the website:
http://www.vegetarianet.com
The congress, promoted by the EVU - European Vegetarian Union www.euroveg.eu and organized by the AVI -
Italian Vegetarian Association http://www.vegetariani.it, will be held in
Riccione at the congress centre Hotel Le Conchiglie between 1st and 7th October 2005.
3, News:
--Will the future bring cultured meat?
Raising animals for slaughter ruins the environment. Artificial meat could prevent these damages.
http://www.euroveg.eu/lang/en/news/news.php?id=3981&lang=en&newsstart
--Bird flu: a nightmare scenario develops
Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus infection in migratory birds
How many of the wild geese in western China had died remained a secret for a while. However, at the end of June, the
shocking facts emerged: thousands of animals have fallen victim to the virus H5N1 which is now being passed around
wild
geese. And these birds fly long distances and are very well able to 'export' H5N1 to many corners of the world...
http://www.euroveg.eu/lang/en/news/news.php?id=3977&lang=en&newsstart=
--UK: Sam Wollaston from the 'Guardian' reviews BBC slaughter documentary: 'a strange kind of beauty '
Excerpt: 'Meanwhile, a machine rips the wool off a lamb's hindquarters in one piece, like a reluctant child being
prepared for bed. Its feet are then severed with big pliers. In another part of the slaughterhouse, a line of calves
passes by, upside down, each hanging by a single foot. They're dead, but one still kicks out with the leg it isn't
hanging by, trying to claw its way back into the world it's just left. There's twitching everywhere. And blood of
course, deep on the floor and splattered all over the walls, sprayed from severed jugulars. If slaughterhouses had
glass walls, you still wouldn't be able to see much, because the glass would be smeared with blood.'
http://www.euroveg.eu/lang/en/news/news.php?id=3951&lang=en&newsstart=
--Happy Birthday, Your Holiness
Not only Tibetans celebrate the 70th birthday of the Dalai Lama (who only recently adopted a vegetarian lifestyle)
http://www.euroveg.eu/lang/en/news/news.php?id=3972&lang=en&newsstart=
4. Upcoming international events can be found here:
http://www.euroveg.eu/lang/en/events/events.php
-Please feel free to send us information about your own diary inputs so that we can 'spread the word'.
If you have not done so, why not become member of the European Vegetarian Union now. It is so easy http://www.euroveg.eu/lang/en/about/support/membership.php