So we had the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. Now we’ve got the Barilla Center For Food & Nutrition Double Pyramid? Okay. What do you think about that? Good research and information? Just another organization trying to insert their ideas into the food conversation? One side of the double pyramid focuses on food types by their definition of nutritional value and the other is inverted by their definition of environmental impact.

By the end of October, it is estimated that the world’s population will reach seven billion people, growing to nine billion by 2050. In order to satisfy the world’s food needs, production will need to increase between 70 and 100 percent in the face of environmental changes, a destabilized agrifoods market and continued global economic turmoil. The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN), launched in the U.S. today, is working to address these topics through the development of concrete research and findings for government leaders and policymakers around the world to use as a relevant and meaningful resource.

“While we cannot stop the continuing evolution of the planet, we have the moral duty to suggest courses of action and propose policies that encourage responsible interaction with it. Food and nutrition will be an increasingly important focus in dialogues among governments, corporations and civil society, all of which are working to address the immediate and future challenges we face in meeting nutritional needs of a growing population while ensuring the health of our planet,” stated Guido Barilla, President of the BCFN. “We understand what it takes to bring food from the farm to the table in an efficient and sustainable way, as well as the importance of developing environmentally sustainable production models. We are committed to bringing the world’s best and brightest minds together to provide guidance on how to effectively navigate these complex topics.”