Live Commemoration of World Food Safety Day (WFWP Brazil)

Written by: Diosdada Ladica Dos Santos

On June 7, WFWP Brazil (Amazonian Region) organized a virtual celebration in honor of World Food Safety Day. One of the concerns of the Amazonian region, north of Brazil, is the safety of food production. Therefore, the theme of the event was “Permaculture, Tendency of the 21st century.”
The event started off with opening remarks by Diosdada Ladica dos Santos, WFWP Regional Director. Next, the six special guests representing different states of Brazil, and a special guest from the WFWPI Office of UN Relations in New York were introduced.
The first speaker, Francimar dos Santos Barbosa, Secretary of Production & Food Supply, City Hall of Juruti, State of Para, raised the concern of how the government can assist farmers. She shared that 60 percent of the city’s population are farmers. Without farmers, there is no food. So farmers are vital in maintaining food security from the land they cultivate, without the use of any toxins or contamination.
The second speaker, Jose Caetano Cardoso, Ex-Secretary of Agriculture, State of Maranhao, made the critical link between food and health. He stated “Our health is the manifestation of the food we eat. If we eat improperly, we compromise our health. Healthy foods are the ones we cultivate from our land, because you know the way it was cultivated and its process, while industrialized and ready-to-eat foods are not always safe, their quality is unclear.”
Next, Japil Tenharen, Master in Environmental Science, Federal University of Amazonas, spoke about the tradition in his village, that had been passed down from their ancestors, in which land is cultivated as a community. Permaculture is a common practice in their community, but Mr. Tenharen spoke on the importance of connecting ancient practice to modern science. Permaculture had allowed the people to survive despite the pandemic crisis, when markets were closed.
Renata Geraldo Rema, Bachelor's in Agroecology, Federal Institute of Amazonas, explained the strategy behind how they maintain a healthy community by developing the potential of their area's natural resources. The development in rural areas depends on one's creativity and its desire to produce new things. The problem is not the land, the problem is the attitude on how we take care of our land.

Karla Hernanda, Chief Nutritionist, Secretary of Education, State of Amapa, shared her concern about the habits of food consumption with children and the youth. Most young people are eating more junk foods than fruits and vegetables. Good foods are the ones with nutritional value that can be found in green leafy vegetables, root crops and natural fruits. She assured the audience that “Healthy foods do not have to be sophisticated, and can be found at the market or can even be planted in a backyard.”
The main speaker, Mrs. Merly Barlaan, Deputy Director of WFWPI Office of UN Relations New York, began her talk by sharing recent statistics on the people in the world who are dying due to lack of food or through food contamination. She expressed her gratitude in Celebrating the Day of World Food Security, as it draws attention and inspires actions to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health and economic prosperity. Mrs. Barlaan then introduced the "Permaculture Peace Garden'' in the Philippines- a healthy, educational, holistic and sustainable way of food production. She shared that permaculture helps to develop good character and strengthens one’s love and appreciation for nature.
The program continued with final words from Luana Lopes, NGO Founder of the Project of Land Cure. Ms. Lopez emphasized how permaculture is beyond taking care of the land. It is how human beings live with nature and construct happy communities by taking care of their environment, without destroying natural resources.
The final closing remarks were given by Dr. Simao Ferabolli, Universal Peace Federation General Secretary of South America. Dr. Ferabolli thanked each of the guest speakers, who are experts in their field, and shared how he learned so much from each of the presenters.