Part of the Feeding Knowledge platform, an initiative launched by Expo Milano 2015 to encourage greater cooperation in research and innovations related to food security, the Best Practices in Sustainable Development (BSDP) competition aimed to identify, collect, promote and facilitate the sharing of best practices in food security in terms of food availability, food access and food use. Eighteen award winning projects were finally selected out of 786 by an International Selection Committee made up of illustrious names such as Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sebastião Salgado, Vandana Shiva, and Jeffrey Sachs and others. Five thematic priorities were the basis for admission of best practice projects including sustainable management of natural resources; improvement in the quantity and quality of agricultural production; socio-economic dynamics and global markets; sustainable development of small rural communities in marginal areas; and food consumption habits: diet, environment, society, economy and health.

FAO submitted a number of best practices which are displayed on the feeding knowledge website. Of these, two were selected as winners.

First prize for Improvement in the quantity and quality of agricultural production

First prize was awarded to the project Intensification of agriculture by strengthening cooperative agro-input shops, a collaboration between two FAO projects carried out in Niger in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Niger and the Union of the Producers Federations of Niger, UFPN Gatanci. This was possible also thanks to the teamwork and efforts of FAO units that worked together on these projects: Intensification de l'Agriculture par le Renforcement des Boutiques d'Intrants Coopératives (IARBIC) on the technical side and the project for Capitalisation on good practices on the methodological aspects and with the support of OPCC. As first prize winner, the project will be featured in a film produced by Expo 2015, which will be shown in the main Pavilion at Expo (Pavilion Zero).

Runner up prize for Sustainable development of small rural communities

Photo Story prize for the project Eradication of the tsetse fly Glossina palpalis gambiensis from the Niayes in Senegal. Carried out in Senegal by FAO in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Directorate of Veterinary Services, and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development and the Senegal Institute for Agricultural Research, the project will be showcased in a photo story which will also be shown in the main Pavilion during Expo (Pavilion Zero).

Visit the Feeding Knowledge web platform for more information.

For more on the winners and the runners up of the best practices competition, please see here.

For more information on UN Expo Milan 2015, please see here.