METROFOOD-RI participates in the United Nations General Assembly Science Summit on 25 September
How can scientific research contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the agri-food sector? This will be discussed on September 25 at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) during a dedicated session organized by METROFOOD-RI, the European consortium coordinated by ENEA, which aims to promote scientific excellence in the field of food quality and safety. Specifically, during UNGA79, the Science Summit is scheduled from September 10 to 27, a significant hybrid event – partly online and partly in person (New York, USA) – which last year featured 400 sessions, 1,800 speakers, and 12,000 participants.
The focus of the 2024 edition of the Science Summit is on the relationship between sustainable development and scientific research, a topic closely linked to the agri-food world. As outlined in the SDGs, it is necessary to ensure sufficient food production globally while also preserving rural public goods and providing healthy and high-quality products, fostering the development of sustainable and safe production and distribution chains.
Achieving these ambitious goals also involves the daily work of Research Infrastructures (RIs) like METROFOOD-RI, which play a strategic role thanks to their ability to bring together resources (equipment, data, knowledge) and organize services for all stakeholders in the agri-food sector, including research communities, policymakers, food companies, and citizens.
In particular, during the Science Summit, METROFOOD-RI will hold a special hybrid session (in-person and online) on September 25 titled "Agroecology, Sustainability, and Innovation - A Pathway for the Agri-Food Sector." The session will begin at 4 PM local time (10 PM CEST time) and will highlight the role of Research Infrastructures in addressing the challenges of the agri-food system, focusing on topics such as food quality and safety, traceability and transparency, innovation, digitization, circular bioeconomy, sustainability, and resilience.
Speakers will also discuss the importance of the “One Health” approach, which treats human, animal and environmental health as a unicum. This approach is based on the awareness that balanced and sustainable agroecosystems and agri-food systems can significantly contribute to the well-being and safety of human, animal, and plant capital, making it possible to create sustainable agri-food systems in line with the UN SDGs.
"The session will also be an opportunity to discuss the importance of strengthening research, cooperation, innovation, and stakeholder engagement in support of the agri-food sector," says Claudia Zoani, coordinator of the METROFOOD-RI infrastructure. "METROFOOD-RI can make a valuable contribution in these directions, thanks to an organization based on physical structures such as laboratories and experimental facilities distributed across Europe, and an electronic component that provides high-level metrological services to improve food quality and safety and support the traceability and sustainability of agri-food systems, with a circular economy perspective."
Below is the full agenda for the session organized by METROFOOD-RI, which will be held at the Innovation Room of the Cure building, 345 Park Avenue South (New York).
Registration for the session can be done directly at this address: https://ssunga79.sched.com/event/1jzj7
Claudia Zoani (ENEA, Italy) - The Challenges of the Agri-Food System - The Role of Research Infrastructures in Contributing to the SDGs
Nastasia Belc (IBA, Romania) - One Health as a Promoter of a Sustainable Food System
Joris Van Loco (Sciensano, Belgium) - Risk Assessment of Contaminants and Additives in Food to Support Policies
Nives Ogrinc (JSI, Slovenia) - New Challenges for Food Authenticity and Traceability
Barbora Lampová (CZU, Czech Republic) - Sustainable Alternative Protein Sources for Food and Feed
Karl Presser (PREMOTEC, Switzerland) - Digital Research Infrastructure
Maria Fernandes-Whaley (NMISA, South Africa) - Promoting Sustainable Agri-Food Systems Through Scientific Metrology: A Pathway to Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Strengthening the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
For more information on the UNGA79 Science Summit, you can consult the official page https://sciencesummitunga.com/
