As part of the weeklong celebration for Italian Cuisine Week, the Italian Cultural Society of San Francisco in collaboration with the Future Food Institute held a webinar titled “Innovation and sustainability in the agri-food sector”. Speakers included Michelle Sisson of Apeel Sciences and Greg Dresher of the Culinary Institute of America. Chiara Cecchini of the Future Food Institute moderated the webinar.
Greg Dresher, vice president of strategic initiatives and industry leadership at The Culinary Institute of America, told participants to look at Italy’s centuries old traditions when it comes to thinking about our food sources. For example, if you look at the protein shift currently happening, there is less reliance on animals for food source that have a big carbon footprint and more reliance from plant sources.
“It’s not as though we are heading into something that did not exist”, says Dresher. Italy has been serving meals with appropriate proportions for centuries – there is pasta, meat, legumes all on the table. Looking at Italy for our future problems such as proportions in the Italian Mediterranean diet and the protein shift is beneficial, explained Dresher.
In opening remarks, Sergio Strozzi, Consul General of San Francisco, told participants, “Food is not just talking about food itself. It also involves the health of people and even innovation”. Strozzi added, at the end of the day food also involves a lifestyle, which Italians have made famous, a lifestyle about food and particularly sustainable food.
Strozzi explained, there’s no better place to organize an event to talk about sustainable food and innovation than California. California has advanced legislation as far as sustainability and food production.
To watch the full webinar click here.