The Italian company is the first in the tourism sector to sign this document from the Barilla Foundation, whose objectives include reducing food waste, ongoing efforts to eliminate hunger, and initiatives to improve awareness of healthy lifestyles
Genoa, November 19, 2015 – Costa Cruises is the first company in the tourism industry to sign the Milan Protocol.
Promoted by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN; www.barillacfn.com), the Milan Protocol is an initiative focused on combating the global problem of nutritional and food imbalances, with three main objectives: promoting healthy eating habits, reducing food waste, and fostering sustainable agriculture. The idea is to create a civil movement, encompassing institutions, companies, and organizations, as well as ordinary people, that will raise awareness and propose solutions to global problems affecting the agriculture-food chain.
“At Costa Cruises, we support the Milan Protocol because we believe its objectives align with our company's values,” says Neil Palomba, CEO of Costa Cruises. “We want to continue promoting a sustainable food model on board our ships. We believe it is possible to offer our passengers, who come from 200 different countries, an excellent culinary experience based on Italian traditions that effectively combines pleasure, health, and well-being, while avoiding waste and reducing environmental impact.”
“The Milan Protocol was created in 2013 based on an idea from the BCFN Foundation; today, it is based on the contributions of more than 500 experts from around the world, more than 100 international organizations, and thousands of individuals who have already signed and supported it. The Milan Protocol is one of the documents that inspired the Milan Charter, a true legacy of Expo Milano 2015. We are delighted that a major company like Costa Cruises is now part of this protocol. We hope that its support will encourage others in the tourism industry to contribute—through noteworthy initiatives such as those Costa has developed regarding the menus offered on its ships—to combat the important fight against hunger, obesity, food waste, and the exploitation of the Earth,” stated Luca Virginio, Vice President of the BCFN Foundation.
Costa Cruises' commitment includes a new evaluation of menus and food preparation processes on board its ships. And, to minimize environmental impact, priority will be given to fresh food and products from local suppliers near the ports where the ships call.
Another important aspect concerns the involvement of passengers and crew, to guide them towards a healthy and balanced approach to food, while encouraging them to take an increasingly active part in this process of change, especially with regard to food waste.
