1 May 2015: Expo Milano 2015 opened in Milan, Italy, under the theme ‘Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life.’ The UN’s participation in the event, which will run until 31 October 2015, focuses on building momentum around food-related issues, including through the Zero Hunger Challenge.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) were designated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to lead the coordination of the 20 UN agencies participating in the 2015 Expo, under the Director-General of FAO.

In a message for the opening ceremony, Ban underscored that the world produces enough food to “feed every member of the human family,” yet one in nine people still goes hungry. He said the Zero Hunger Challenge is a global call to action for a world without hunger, and “we can do it if we can work together.” The UN’s presence at the Expo includes 18 giant spoon installations representing the five pillars of the Zero Hunger Challenge, women’s empowerment and gender equality, and other content related to the 2015 Expo’s thematic areas.

Expo Milano 2015 expects over 20 million visitors to its 1.1 million square meters of exhibition area. A total of 145 countries are expected to contribute to the six-month exhibition, with a focus on food traditions, food innovations, and food security, as a contribution to the global debate on how to feed the world.

The European Parliament adopted a Resolution on Milano Expo 2015, urging the Commission to make the most of the opportunity provided by the Expo and encouraging practices to increase global food security. [UN Press Release] [UNEP Press Release] [European Parliament Press Release]