Roberto Smeraldi

Roberto Smeraldi, 48, is a Brazilian environmental leader, founder and director, since 1989, of Amigos da Terra - Brazilian Amazonia, one of the most influential Brazilian NGOs. As journalist and author, he published essays and books on environment, development, sustainable enterprises, the Amazon, forestry, travel and culinary arts, as well as founded the website http://www.amazonia.org.br.

Smeraldi was born on March 31st, 1960 in Florence, Italy. He is a Brazilian and Italian national. After starting his career as a journalist and war correspondent, he joined the environmental movement in the mid-eighties. He became internationally known when he was elected Chairman of the International NGO Steering Committee for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, with over 100 heads of state. He had co-founded Friends of the Earth in 1989 with other Brazilian environmental leaders such as Fabio Feldmann, the congressman who authored the environmental chapter of the Brazilian Constitution.

Smeraldi regularly writes opinion editorials on mainstream newspapers. In Brazil, he is currently member of the National Commission on Social Determinants of Health (since 2006) and of the Brazilian Forum on Climate Change (since 2000), both appointed by the President of the Republic. He is also member of the Council for Best Practices at ABN Amro bank. At international level, he currently co-chairs the "Climate and Forest Dialogue" and serves on the board of "The Forest Dialogue", both hosted by Yale University. He is also member of the board of the global Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels (since 2007), hosted by the Swiss government. In the past, he represented Friends of the Earth International at UN-ECOSOC in 1989-1999. From 1996 to 2004, he served as member and Chair of the International Advisory Group to the G-7 Pilot Program for Brazilian Rainforests. He acted as senior advisor to various UN agencies, the World Bank and the President of the Republic of Brazil. In 2000, he was awarded with the Henry Ford Prize for Environmental Conservation.

Smeraldi is also engaged in a movement for promoting biodiversity-related terroirs for culinary purposes, along with other Brazilian and foreign gastronomes. He also writes culinary critiques and essays, as well as being judge in various gastronomic awards.

He is father of twin sons, Alessandro Michele and Lorenzo Michele, born on September 23rd, 2002, and lives in São Paulo with them and their mother, Claudia Romano.