In the month in which the is celebrated World Food Day, which aims to draw attention to food emergencies in the world, restarts Restaurants against hunger, the initiative of the international humanitarian organization Action against hunger present in Spain, United Kingdom, France, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Guatemala and, since 2015, also in Italy.
HOW DOES IT WORK
The mechanism is simple and tested. The restaurants participating in the project (for the complete list, click here) can donate directly 2 euros for each dish or "solidarity" menu combined with the initiative. But also organize special evenings or dedicated events by donating the collection, in whole or in part, to Action against Hunger. In addition, they can invite customers to make a donation, adding 2 euros to the final bill, perhaps "taking advantage" of "Truffle of happiness", the limited edition chocolate made for the occasion by La Perla di Torino.
A BIT OF FIGURES
The 5th edition in our country is also the time to draw conclusions. In numbers, the results achieved are significant: 600 restaurants involved, 500,000 customers, 350,000 euros collected. And especially, 12,000 children of the world who have received life-saving therapeutic food.
Unfortunately, equally significant are the figures relating to the crises underway, which put 40 million people at risk of malnutrition, of which 5 million are small. The populations involved are concentrated in difficult realities such as Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Afghanistan, but also in regions such as the Sahel and East Africa. And the first triggering cause is war and violence, endemic in many areas and directly responsible for the increase in hunger, famine, and water shortages.
THE WORD OF THE CHEF
"We have joined this concrete action because at this moment, as never before, we need to be united and educate to compassion, a value of life that is too often ignored." Cesare Battisti of the Ratanà, one of the Milanese chefs involved in the initiative since the dawn together with many colleagues working on this front throughout the campaign period, and even beyond.
"We are promoters of various initiatives related to Action against hunger," he says Andrea Provenzani of the Liberty. "We immediately married the cause, we contribute as a restaurant and we try to raise awareness among our customers, inviting them to donate. It is a moral duty to those less fortunate".
On the same wavelength Tano Simonato: "For us, who have everything, it should be an automatic gesture to do our part to help those who do not have our possibilities. Action against Hunger is a serious association with high credibility. This is why I decided to join immediately and with immense pleasure. And this year I will dedicate to the fundraising the opening night of my new restaurant ". The new Tano pass me the oil in fact it will open on November 24th, moving from the Navigli to Via Petrarca.
In his restaurant, Claudio Sadler decided to link the initiative to the tasting menu: "It's what I sell the most, so I'm sure to make a good contribution. It is important to participate to feed even those who otherwise would not."
As a note Felice Lo Basso, of the Felix Lo Basso Restaurant, "our premises recall luxury and it might seem a contradiction to talk about world hunger. But, on the contrary, this is an opportunity to show everyone that we have a heart, and we know how to open it to those in need".
"We should all have the right to a healthy and complete meal a day and it is shameful that there are millions of children who die of hunger when we sail in food," he emphasizes. Elio Sironi of the Ceresio 7, which confirms that the public, over time, has always given good feedback. This year, his solidarity dish will be a risotto with fermented 'nduja and saffron: "Risotto always goes, this one especially intrigues while remaining close to tradition and I bet it will bring a good result".
A CONSTANT INVOLVEMENT
The enthusiasm of the chefs is also due to the fact that the restaurants are constantly kept up to date on the goals achieved by Action against Hunger. "So, we are really involved and it becomes easier to raise awareness of those sitting at our tables. And then, doing good is good for us too", notes Daniel Canzian that from the restaurant menu Daniel has chosen to offer its bestseller, the contemporary vegetable soup: "Besides, it also has a nice symbolic value, being a simple and nutritious dish of popular cuisine".
Also Tommaso Arrigoni of Innocent Evasions he chose one of the first to go the most popular, beetroot dumplings and chestnut flour with duck sauce in red wine. "Participating in a solidarity operation is good for the heart. And it is nice to see that with so many colleagues, you are teaming up throughout the whole initiative and in the end, when we meet again for the final event. Where you cook, laugh and joke but above all, something important is shared ".
Francesca Romana Mezzadri
October 2019
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