(By Gordon Sorlini)
"Buongiorno tutti".
With these words US Secretary of State John Kerry, in a
live video connection from Washington, D.C., on Wednesday kicked
off the official ground-breaking ceremony for the building of
the US Pavilion at the Milan Expo 2015 site.
After briefly joking that attendees of the ceremony in
Italy were "enjoying an aperitivo" while those at the State
Department in Washington were not, Kerry immediately got down to
business pointing out that Expo 2015 is a key occasion for US
firms to showcase their food technology and the country's food
culture.
He then pointed out how the Expo theme of "feeding the
planet" is especially dear to the Barack Obama administration,
which sees in "food security" one of its key foreign policy
objectives.
Milan Expo 2015 "is not just a fair celebrating food,"
Kerry said, "it's much more visionary".
Every previous Universal Fair has been about innovation,
with the introduction of products ranging from dishwashers to
wall sockets and even to ice cream cones, he explained.
"In Milan innovation will come to the fore," Kerry said,
adding that Expo had set itself the ambitious goal of tackling
the issue of how to feed a vastly expanded global population in
a sustainable way.
By 2050 the global population will reach some nine
billion, Kerry said, pointing out that climate change is "making
agriculture harder and scientists are saying we need to boost
food production 60% with sustainable means… We need to get
there, but we can't without sharing best practices".
Expo is a key way to "share what we know," the Secretary of
State said.
Not only is Expo a key innovation sharing opportunity; it
is also an excellent business platform.
Kerry said the fair was "a way of dramatically expanding US
business opportunities overseas and Italian business
opportunities in the US" as well as being a driver of employment
opportunities.
"The greatest trade relationship in the world - between the
US and Europe - will be expanded," Kerry said.
"Milan is a hub for business and culture, a perfect place
for this Expo to take place," he added, concluding with an
Italian expression: "Batti il ferro mentre è caldo (strike while
the iron is hot). My friends, the iron is hot."
Other speakers - both American and Italian - took the stage
at the developing fairgrounds to talk about US participation in
Expo 2015 and Food 2.0, the official name of the US Pavilion.
From Washington, David Thorne, US ambassador to Italy from
2009-2013 and currently Kerry's Senior Advisor, pointed out that
the US presence was a public-private partnership, with corporate
sponsors paying for the building and running of the pavilion.
Thorne thanked private sponsors on both sides of the
Atlantic for their participation, pointing out that the US
government doesn't grant public funds to events like Expo.
The groundbreaking event - especially in D.C. - was also
meant as a way to encourage more private sector sponsors to
participate.
John Phillips, the current US ambassador to Italy, then
took the podium at the Expo site, under a huge American flag and
with ceremonial shovel in hand, and proclaimed: "Let the
building begin. It starts now, today".
Speaking about the contents of Food 2.0 Phillips said the
pavilion will showcase the ability of US firms and agricultural
technology to drive Expo's mission.
"We hope its impact will last beyond the six months" of the
fair.
Phillips pointed out that the US is in an excellent
position to help the world, for US farmers produce about 25% of
global food supplies.
"Our theme aims to foster awareness about US food in all
its respects," said Phillips, including its entrepreneurial
aspects. "Food 2.0 is about food that is good for you,
nutritious, delicious," the ambassador said.
Phillips added his voice to Kerry's in pointing out that
"US pavilion is also about dramatically expanding trade
opportunities, especially with Europe" and that it would serve
as a showcase for US firms.
Giuseppe Sala, the Italian government's Commissioner for
Expo 2015 and the CEO of Expo 2015, said "I learned a lot
listening to Mr Kerry's speech... I am excited to see that today
the Expo site is dressed in the Stars and Stripes."
Sala said that "today, with the US, 19 countries are ready
to start building."
Among other guests, Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni
pointed out: "Over the years, the US has pushed itself with
battles against obesity and waste and promoted sustainability,"
while Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia said "today is a day of joy".
Expo 2015 "talks to the world," Pisapia said, "and for this
occasion the US couldn't be missing."
Jerry Giaquinta, senior advisor and member of the board of
directors of Friends of the USA Pavilion Milano 2015 - the
organization raising funds for the US participation - said that
Expo will serve as "a place for discussion".
He added: "during the six months of Expo 2015, Food 2.0
will foster common ground across the food spectrum. America has
much to offer, technologically and culturally".
Giaquinta also released the names of some of the leading
corporate sponsors for the US pavilion: GE, Uvet, Dupont, 3M,
McKinsey and Illy.
"We still have much to do," said Giaquinta, who declined to
comment on the budget for the project but said "it's a number we
feel we can reach... it's a good investment".
In a profile released by the Expo press office of Simone
Crolla, the managing director of the American Chamber of
Commerce in Italy, the overall investment for "the realization
of the project" is put at US$ 50 million.
In a short interview on site with ANSA, the CEO of GE's
Italian unit, Sandro De Poli, said that GE was investing some
US$ 5.0 million in the construction of the pavilion.
De Poli said GE's involvement wasn't only financial,
stressing that the company was seeking to find "ways to make a
concrete contribution." He pointed out that GE is already
involved in food-related projects, including energy intensive
greenhouse cultivation in the Netherlands and in developing
water treatment technologies - "all technologies which are
present in the company".
De Poli reiterated the challenge of boosting food
production to feed 50% more people on the planet by 2050 while
arable land supply won't increase by much.
"Yields have to increase. The model has to be rethought,"
he said.
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