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What
The year 2021 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the
International Year of Fruits and Vegetables
with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the lead agency. The year-long celebration, in partnership with other relevant agencies and organizations, has proven to be a unique opportunity to underscore the importance of fruits
and vegetables, also in the context of the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the achievement of the
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
When
On Thursday, 24 February 2022 from 13:00 to 14:30 CET, FAO will host the virtual closing ceremony for the International Year of Fruits
and Vegetables 2021, through the virtual conferencing platform Zoom.
Why
Fruits and vegetables are good sources of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, and can help lower risk factors for non-communicable diseases, such as overweight/obesity,
chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
But the benefits of fruits and vegetables extend beyond human nutrition. Their cultivation can help improve the quality of life for small-scale family farmers and rural communities by sustaining livelihoods, generating
income and enhancing resilience through the sustainable management of natural resources such as soil and water.
How to participate
Journalists can pre-register to join the closing event here or
follow the webcast here.
Who will participate
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, will open the ceremony which will include a video message by UN Secretary General
António Guterres.
Speakers include:
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Raquel
Arbaje de Abinader, First Lady of the Dominican Republic
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Stefano Patuanelli, Minister of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies of Italy;
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Jose Ignacio Pinochet, Vice Minister of Agriculture of Chile.
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Peter Munya,
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Fisheries and Cooperatives of Kenya
The event will also feature a panel discussion including:
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Patricia Araya, Alternate Representative, Permanent Mission of Chile to the Rome-based UN Agencies;
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Dilara Koçak, a social media influencer from Turkey;
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Sylvia M. Kuria, a young farmers’ leader engaged in the organic movement in Kenya;
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Tahmina Isayeva,
Food Hero and entrepreneur, Azerbaijan;
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Benny M. Corcolon, Vice President, Research and Development, Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc., the Philippines;
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Ted M. DeJong, Distinguished Professor and Pomologist Emeritus, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California-Davis,
USA.
The wrap-up event will be moderated by Marcela Villareal, Director, Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division, FAO.
Live interpretation in all six FAO languages will be provided through the webcast and
the audience will be able to engage through the webinar chat
function.
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