Magazine makeover

Dear readers,
The issue of our magazine, Civiltà della Tavola, you are reading, is the last one to be printed using the familiar arrangement of articles and graphic layout which has gone mostly unchanged for several years now. Today our pages, however carefully wrought and readable, bear the burden of passing time. Many have suggested updates and greater compatibility with modern communication modes. After thorough consideration, I have the pleasure of announcing that you will find the upcoming February issue of Civiltà della Tavola completely revamped in both content and graphics. While retaining the care in presenting information and graphics which has always characterised our monthly publication, in view of the Academy’s new path of increased involvement with a more general audience, we found it necessary to rethink the magazine’s image, which is showing its age - especially as regards its heterogeneous and unstructured content.

Our magazine currently consists of 72 pages, of which often only 27 contain articles on culture and research, while the others report convivial gatherings and other activities by the Delegations.

Many believe, as the “Franco Marenghi” Study Centre unanimously concurred, that we should instead allow more space to the first category, which will now cover 40 pages, without of course neglecting the Academy’s activities.

The magazine will therefore be restructured with the following sections and categories:

• President’s Focus

• Current Events - Lifestyle - Society

• Traditions - History

• Territories - Tourism - Folklore

• Health - Safety - Law

• Cuisine - Products - Food Technology

• Restaurants and Cooks

• In Bookshops

• Delegations’ Activities

• Delegations’ Convivial Gatherings

• Members’ Handbook
 

Those who would like to submit their contributions (3,500 to 7,000 characters, including spaces) should therefore be mindful of the categories delineated above. In particular, mere descriptions of meetings and gatherings will no longer be published, while ample space will be allowed for articles on the topics presented in the most interesting talks given at those meetings.

The new layout will increase the clarity and legibility of the revamped content; the cover and format will remain unchanged, both to retain the magazine’s long-established continuity and because they have been generally appreciated.

As you can imagine, this has required a complex and lengthy gestation which involved the participation of the new Study Centre, the Editorial Office and our director of graphics and layout. I hope that the new magazine will meet with your approval and contribute to giving the Academy a vital and current role in the food culture world.

PS: Crisis averted! For now. No assault on Made in Italy will emanate from the UN glass citadel: no red traffic light for oil, parmesan, ham and much else. The draft presented by France, Brazil, Thailand, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Norway, Senegal and South Africa did not come to fruition. Not because it was rejected, but because an ‘invisible hand’ caused the requirement for taxes and labels to disappear, and consequently the Assembly limited itself to promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle. Moreover, it reiterated the aim of preserving food traditions, considered part of each country’s cultural heritage. No black mark, therefore, for our products. A good result for Italy and its diplomacy, possibly with a helpful nudge from France, which, despite being among the nations presenting the proposal, would have had much to lose.

Paolo Petroni
President of the Accademia