The World Farmers Markets Coalition will present itself during the Doha Expo 2023.

Within its mandate, the WorldFMC is committed to cultivating a world community of farmers markets, sharing best practices and innovation, defending endangered markets and their participants, and promoting the idea that farmers markets can be gateways to wider and deeper opportunities to build social trust at moments where it is lacking. This occasion is therefore an opportunity to tell the story of the experience of the World Farmers Markets Coalition and the Coldiretti food system that made it possible.

Key points of the event:

• The WorldFMC project
• The role of farmers in preserving biodiversity through an integrated ecosystem for sustainable agricultural growth
• The dissemination and promotion of local food systems
• The opportunities that farmers’ markets create.
• The international cooperation projects.

Speakers:

• Richard McCarthy President, USA (The World)

Richard is a community development specialist, writer and speaker, who sees food as a pivotal organizing tool. In 1995, he founded the New Orleans-based Market Umbrella and its flagship Crescent City Farmers Market, where he played a pivotal role in rebuilding the regional food system after the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. Past President and co-founder of the US Farmers Market Coalition, he played a pivotal role in the piloting and expanding the use of nutrition incentive programs in farmers markets. For six-years, he directed Slow Food USA from New York City.

In 2022, his first book, Kuni: A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection, was published by North Atlantic Books (co-written with Tsuyoshi Sekihara).

He now serves on the board of Slow Food International. Since 2021, he has served in the role as Provisional President for the World Farmers Markets Coalition. Born in Europe, raised in New Orleans, educated in the United Kingdom and the London School of Economics, Richard lives with his family in New York.

• Carmelo Troccoli, Director General, Italy

Carmelo began his work experience in Coldiretti in 2002 as its Policy Advisor on issues related to intellectual property, international agreements and innovation in agriculture to community institutions in Brussels. Beginning in 2009, he began his nine year tenure as the National Secretary of Coldiretti Giovani Impresa (or Coldiretti Youth), for which he organized “Oscar Green”, the main competition on innovation in the primary sector.  In 2016 he became Director of the Campagna Amica Foundation.

It manages and promotes the world’s largest farmers market network of farmers’ direct sales operating under one umbrella (with more than 1,200 farmers markets throughout Italy). He has grown Campagna Amica to play pivotal roles in leveraging farmers markets to restart local food systems. These include the development of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, food education in schools, the strengthening of the Network of Social Agricultural companies, and work to defend and safeguard biodiversity.

Of particular interest, due to Campagna Amica’s defense of biodiversity, Carmelo launched the “Campagna-Friendly Seals.” Built around the endangered products recovered by Campagna Amica market farmers, the Seals were created to raise consumer awareness about the importance of conserving the unique heritage of the world’s food diversity and how their actions can defend it.

After two years of research and action, more than 600 agricultural products have already been included in the list of Campagna Amica’s Seals.

• Tran Thi Kieu Thanh Ha
  Vice President & Board Member, Vietnam (East Asia & Oceania)

Ha, as she is known, is the Manager of the Livable Cities Program for the Health Bridge Foundation of Canada in Vietnam.

Taking overall responsibility for the program planning and implementation since its launch in 2006, she has provided leadership to her team to promote physical activity environments, healthy food environments, park development, land-use planning and health, and active transportation in
Vietnamese cities. In 2012-2013, Ha successfully led a campaign to dissuade the municipal government of Hanoi from replacing wet markets with supermarkets. This single intervention has since led to collaboration with local and international partners to preserve local food markets throughout Vietnam, thus helping to shape national policies for street markets and other informal markets in Hanoi and other Vietnamese cities.

Before managing the Livable Cities Program, Ha served as Media and Advocacy Officer for HealthBridge and she studied politics.

• Jean Charles Khairallah
  Board of Directors, Lebanon (Mediterranean/ North Africa)

After spending twenty-three years in the retail sector in France, China and the Gulf countries, and five years in the food industry, Jean Charles decided to put his skills to the service of his country of origin: Lebanon.

Social entrepreneur, rabbit breeder and farmer, he opened a delicatessen in Achrafieh (Beirut) specializing in cheese, spices, and wines imported mainly from France. With his roots in his country’s soil, he launched an agricultural project called Terres Gourmandesin2020. The project is based in his family’s home village of Jrane, on the heights of Batroun, where 3000 m² are planted with tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, aromatic herbs, fruit trees and olive trees, cultivated in permaculture. A rabbit farm also thrives there. The meat is served in restaurants of the nation’s capital. He is an active vendor and member of the Organizing Committee for the Badaro Farmers Market.