TeleFood 2004: a chain of events worldwide

For the last seven years, television and radio broadcasts, concerts and sporting events have been spreading TeleFood's messages throughout the world. This year's message was Biodiversity for Food Security.

Because of their activities, Italy and Spain were good places to start as we travelled the world in review of this year's TeleFood events. In Italy, TeleFood beamed its message of solidarity and hope through a network of municipalities and civil society: Valmontone and Itri were prime examples. TeleFood was also beneficiary of the solidarity initiative launched by Soco S.p.A. around its hair products Orizya. Next February, Turin will be celebrating TeleFood with a symphony concert broadcast on RAI. On 30 October, Spain's Radio Televisión Española mounted its now traditional TeleFood fund-raising gala of several hours. France's MultiTV Afrique SAS donated to TeleFood its subscription proceeds for October 2004.

Africa celebrated the TeleFood campaign with music. Liberia's television and radio networks broadcasted a gospel concert on 17 October, while the Korean musician Choi performed in Senegal and Gambia for TeleFood. Zambia staged the arts, with poetry readings and theatre performances, while Cape Verde organized a walk and promotional fair with, in between, writer Vera Duarte and singer/composer Mario Lucio took part in a fund-raising dinner/performance.

Raising awareness and solidarity in Africa took their customary forms with, for example, visits to sites that showcase plant and animal biodiversity, as in Kenya where three ministers made such a visit and, of course, the opening of a feeding centre for 500 children in one local district. The Central African Republic had an evening of tasting local dishes under the patronage of its First Lady. The Congo's Minister of Agriculture fronted the celebrations, with visits to livestock farmers and market gardeners of the right bank of the Djoué river, the tasting of local dishes and visits to micro-gardens.

Asia celebrated with music. In Japan, the NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation aired its traditional concert, while the Japan-FAO Association and Ja-Zenchu cooperative organized awareness-raising activities and collecting funds. Indonesia held an art exhibit but also used song as a means of raising funds with singers entertaining a gala dinner at which ministers and governors sported their ‘artistic' talents. In Myanmar, video projections and exhibitions highlighted the TeleFood campaign. Finally, four villages of Laos inaugurated vegetable gardens, and the country held a fair and a second symposium on food security. More than 30 stands at the fair served as fund collection points.

Television played an key role in the Arab region, with Kuwait transmitting a distinctive scientific workshop and Lebanon's Future TV broadcasting a special TeleFood programme centred around Magida Al-Roumi and preceded by spots and documentaries throughout November.

In Latin America, Venezuela broadcasted special television programmes to promote TeleFood, while recently hurricane-struck Dominican Republic celebrated the International Year of Rice, World Food Day and TeleFood all on 16 October. Colombia had a local display of its food security achievements and an academic forum. Finally, produce from local TeleFood projects was sold at Uruguay's Exposición Rural del Prado in September in order to raise funds.