G20 Green Garden Tree Planting Ceremony Statement

G20 Green Garden

Tree Planting Ceremony Statement

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General 

As prepared 

29 October 2021 

Rome

Excellences,

Dear Colleagues and Students,

Dear Friends,

 

1.            Today’s Tree Planting Ceremony marks the G20 Leaders Summit hosted here in Rome, and the historic linkage with FAO.

 

2.            The G20 Green Garden was inaugurated in June, and since then we have watched it grow.

 

3.            The educational itinerary started engaging our young generation in September.

 

4.            The Garden joined Rome’s Open House Day, introducing many members of the public to the concept of “People, Planet and Prosperity”, and to the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

5.            The trees we are planting today will remind our future generations of the Italian G20 Presidency in 2021.

 

6.            And what we have committed to do today to help shape a better future for them.

 

7.            I am pleased to be joined by:

 

•             His Excellency Dario Franceschini, Minister for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism;

•             Mr Nicola Zingaretti, President of the Lazio Region;

•             Mr Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome;

•             Her Excellency Ambassador Esti Andayani, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Indonesia to FAO - as Indonesia will be the next host of the G20 after Italy;

•             Together with other honorable guests.

 

8.            I also wish to acknowledge the presence of Ms Alma Rossi, the Director of the Appia Antica Regional Park.

 

9.            And the students with us here today representing the Agricultural Institute in Rome.

 

10.          We are all united here today on the ancient Sacred Wood, planting seeds for the future.

 

11.          I would like to extend my gratitude to the Lazio Region for donating the holm oak trees, as part of the OSSIGENO (Oxygen) project.

 

Dear Friends,

 

12.          Trees as one of the most precious gifts nature gives us. 

 

13.          The Ancient Romans had already recognized this many centuries ago.

 

14.          We can still draw inspiration from ancient forestry laws, such as the Lex Spoletina, as we try to protect our green spaces today.

 

15.          We all know the importance of trees for our life and our planet – what we need now is action!

 

16.          Our planting ceremony today is symbolic – it reflects our collective commitment to take joint action. 

 

17.          Just as people work together in communities, so do trees.

 

18.          With their roots they share resources and communicate.

 

19.          We need to learn from nature, reconnect with it, respect it, and live in harmony with it.

 

20.          There is a Chinese proverb that says “It takes 10 years to grow a tree, but it takes a 100 years to grow a family tree.”

 

21.          Of course, I hope we all get to live to be 100 years old and have more families!

 

22.          What it really means is that it take a lot of time and efforts to recover an harmonious relationship between people and planet, so we need to start early and consistently.

 

23.          I am particularly pleased to see the youth here today.

 

24.          You are the change-makers of the future!

 

25.          When we look around the Sacred Wood, we are thankful to our ancestors who had the wisdom to plant and preserve the trees with the local ecosystem.

 

26.          While the number of trees we plant today is small, we will continue to plant them - here and everywhere,

 

27.          So that our future generations will look at the forests and appreciate what we have done today for them.

 

28.          This should be our collective legacy from FAO, from Rome, from Italy to the world!

 

29.          Thank you.