BOGOTA– The UN World Food Programme (WFP), the Government of the Department of Risaralda and the Autonomous Regional Corporation of Risaralda (CARDER) signed today an agreement to establish a centre of knowledge and innovation where the population can learn and debate issues related to climate change and its repercussions to the environment and to the food and nutritional security of the people of Risaralda.
This centre, which will be located on the 13th floor of El Lago Administrative Building in the City of Pereira, will make available for its visitors numerous studies, experiences, and technological resources that will permit every citizen or public officials to inform themselves and to become familiar with, discuss, or implement plans and programs in order to counteract the effects of climate change in food and nutritional security.
The agreement was signed by WFP Representative Praveen Agrawal, the Governor of the Department of Risaralda Carlos Alberto Moreno, and the Director of CARDER Juan Manuel Álvarez. CARDER is an entity that executes the policies, plans, programmes, and projects concerning the environment and renewable natural resources.
It is well-known that climate change, natural disasters, and environmental problems put the population at risk of food and nutritional insecurity, and that the socio-ecological systems are sustainable for human development only when the social and ecological components are correctly integrated.
For this reason, WFP, the Government of Risaralda, and CARDER decided to create this centre of innovation and knowledge that offers the communities an opportunity to improve their environment, their standard of living, and their food and nutritional security.
This centre plans to generate a space in which, through their participation and association, the residents of Risaralda can conceive of new and better alternatives in agricultural production, sustainable plans for the generation of profit and innovation in the systems of food production, cultural plans for the population to confront issues of food production, environmental management, personal consumption as a motivating factor for family saving, and the reintegration of good food practices in order to establish some better levels of nutrition within the population of the department.