SGS Nara Forum, Launch of a Terroir Value-sharing Concept at Region Level between Japan and Europe on GI Practices
Herve Couraye
Administrator
The Japan-Europe Forum on Sustainable Gastronomy in Society (SGS)
In the midst of the UN WTO General Assembly to be held on 13th to 15th in December in Nara prefecture in parallel SGS organization held its 1st Engagement Platform and Food forum hosted in Nara prefecture on November 15.
Food is a defining issue of the 21st century and there is an ever-growing challenge with sustainability in the world. Food is a function of water, land, culture, labor, technology, economics and policy. From the way we produce, process and consume, food is complex.
SGS's vision is to connect the sustainable food system through an ecosystem to work on the further awareness-raising that needs to be done to convince all relevant actors that lack of citizen-consumer trust or awareness is a tangible outcome is more essential than ever.
Put it simply, SGS aims at co-creating a movement toward sustainability on the food value-chain to achieve its vision for Sustainable Gastronomy in Society.
The common foundation of SGS is a mission-driven, independent NGO like-mindedness in bringing together a diverse range of Japanese high-level figures. All of them already play an active and clear role within their organizations in promoting global change and solutions for safe, accessible, affordable, and sustainable food production and consumption under the "Sustainable Gastronomy in Society" concept.
We believe promoting dialogue with all stakeholders and partners is essential for action & delivery on the ground level. Those very purpose are underpinned by our launched Forum action towards linking Japan 47 prefectures by the World Expo 2025 milestone. Forum’s outcome in Nara is to be “committed to connect the sustainable food system through an ecosystem to work on the further awareness-raising that needs to be done to convince all relevant actors from small to mid-cap companies.
We aspire to change behavior exploring the contours of a shift from production to consumption patterns, in a way that is more climate smart. It means that this 1st Nara forum will lead to mutual collaboration and help build stronger relationship that calls for the promotion of collective action as it combines a moral imperative to act with a tone of sustainability to recognize food not only as a commodity (based on price) but food as a common good (intangible asset value).
