Reflections on the World Economic Forum in Davos
Two weeks ago, SGM co-creator Nicola Gryczka attended the 50th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The WEF is a global gathering of leaders in politics, business, culture, and other sectors to shape global, regional, and industry agendas for the future.
The official World Economic Forum sessions take place within the main convention center, where participants contribute to the global agenda and hold bilateral meetings to advance their annual goals and collaborations. But, reports Nicky, there is a whole series of events running parallel to the official program, organized by partner companies, that allow for valuable networking and exchange opportunities.
This was her 10th time at the event (she used to work for the WEF, and has attended the event as a guest for the past few years), and she was able to participate in many of these side events. While there, Nicky worked with Marie Claire in Brazil to share some ideas and thoughtful reactions to the broader themes and events that unfolded over the course of the week (you can read her posts - if you speak Portuguese! - here, here, and here).
We’ve reproduced some of her notes from the event in English below, so that you can get a look inside the jam-packed and impactful week.
On reaching global goals: What have we really accomplished in the past decade, and what can we accomplish together in this coming decade? We began the event this year still addressing and questioning some of the same issues as we were 10 years ago, such as hunger, gender inequality, climate change, and many more. But as these issues are becoming ever more pressing, my question is: Are we being bold enough?
On gender inequality…
In one session, CEO of Mercer Martine Ferland (at left in photo) reiterated that when women thrive, businesses thrive, society thrives, and communities thrive. So, what are we waiting for? The WEF Global Gender Gap report indicates that at the rate of change we are currently working under, we will achieve gender equality in 207 years. We no longer need thought leaders, but we need to act. We don't just need dialogue and talk, but we need action. We need to be authentic and have diverse role models. We need to see stories and leaders that each of us can identify with. We need real diversity to shift the paradigm.
On inclusivity: How do we prepare for a more inclusive, diverse, and prosperous future? Organizations not only have to create quotas for inclusion, quotas for gender and race/ethnicity, but also have to create a shared culture that has inclusion as part of its core beliefs. Inclusion is an active thing and not just passive; diversity is a fact, while inclusion is a choice. Organizations guided by strong values interlinked with inclusion need to focus on potential, and not on skills and CVs.
A shocking statistic: Global hunger increased from 785 million in 2015 to 821 million in 2018. How is it possible that eliminating hunger is part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and yet we are reversing positive trends that we had already achieved? The three main reasons for hunger are climate, conflict, and economic marginalization.
On climate change: The number of natural disasters has doubled since 1990, with an average of more than 200 climate-related disasters occurring in low- and middle-class countries each year. These climate shocks disproportionately affect food-insecure people in the developing world, destroying their crops, livestocks, and livelihoods. Many small-scale farmers that already live on the margins of poverty and food insecurity are resistant to adapting innovations and change, as they are the only ones bearing the burden if it does not work out. We need to find mechanisms to reduce that risk and fear in a systemic way. Climate change is happening right in front of our faces. We just cannot afford to ignore it anymore. We all need to become climate leaders.
On the future…
I am an optimist by nature and therefore trust my intuition that this year, there was not only the sense of urgency, but that there was also a new wave of activism in the air. We need everyone on board to bend the needle, in order to reverse harm and co-create a more just and sustainable future. My hope is that we manage to move from thought leadership to action, that we can move from talk to results, and that we can move from good intentions to a new reality.
On the SGM and Davos: The Social Gastronomy Movement was inspired by the WEF's philosophy of bringing everyone to the table. We engage actors from the food systems to collaborate for social change toward an equitable future, inclusive society, and a healthy planet. By connecting, collaborating, and building partnerships, I know that this community has the capacity to change the world we live in. As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."