On April 23rd, Slow Food participated in the highly trained space on “Competencies and Knowledge in Sustainable Development Goals”, which is being carried out by The ICCF Group, the Research Center for High Legislative Studies CAEL, the Global Compact Network Colombia, with the support of the European Union, addressed to advisers and legislative work units of senators and representatives of the Colombian Congress, constitutional commissions related to sustainable development and conservation of the environment in Colombia.
The objective of this course is to promote policies on environmental and sustainable development issues through training that strengthens current knowledge, facilitating relevant and informed decision-making processes on these issues.
The presentation made during the course revolved around how the initiatives and projects that Slow Food developed in Colombia, including the Slow Fish Caribe project, financed by the EU and “Empowering Indigenous Youth” project, and by IFAD, contributes to the defense and conservation of agro-biodiversity from a territorial perspective, showing the various strategies that are implemented, from the rescue and valorization of the identity products of the territory through the Ark of Taste, the strengthening of productive capacities of organized communities based on the Presidia, the promotion of local markets such as the Earth Markets, the establishment of alliances between producers and consumers to facilitate the exchange of products and the economic activation of small producers through the Slow Food Chef Alliance.
Other interesting work experiences also took part in the course session, such as those developed by the Malpelo Foundation around the challenges facing the conservation of marine ecosystems on the Island of Malpelo and in general for the Pacific coast, the SIINCHI Institute on productive landscapes of the Colombian Amazon and the possibilities for the social and economic development of its inhabitants and the reflections on the voluntary guidelines on the governance of land and forests by the FAO in Colombia, among others.
Spaces for training and dialogue with decision-makers, such as the one organized by the promoters of this course, become key to better guide public policies that promote more inclusive and resilient development with our natural environments. From Slow Food and the projects we develop, we will continue to participate in them and contribute through our approaches and work experiences.