Future Food Institute, FAO partner to tackle food, climate crisis
The Future Food Institute (FFI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched a new partnership to promote food innovation in the agribusiness sector.
The Future Food Institute (FFI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched a new partnership to promote food innovation in the agribusiness sector. It will provide education, training, and knowledge to generate and accelerate positive social, cultural, economic, and environmental impact around the world.
The FAO–FFI Joint Program will work closely with industry professionals, farmers, chefs, children, young talent, and Generation Z worldwide to mitigate the climate crisis with a series of capacity-building events and workshops across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
The program is based on the scientifically accurate FAO e-learning platform. With an ambition to reach millions of users, the platform is regularly updated and enriched with advanced pedagogical methods. It continually works to direct, facilitate, and accelerate a collective effort towards achieving the 17 objectives and goals (SDGs) laid out in the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations by 2030.
“This partnership aims to accelerate exponential positive change. We will achieve this by considering innovation in agribusiness as a key solution for the most urgent challenges we are facing,” said José Graziano da Silva, director general of the FAO. “Food is at the center of this equation. Farmers, food industry leaders, food experts, innovators, and cooks represent the engine of change. Technology and digital platforms are the enablers. “
The first FAO and FFI joint activity will focus on capacity building and scaling up of education. To kick off the partnership, Future Food for Climate Change Summer Schools will open this summer and deliver a series of training sessions for climate change and food shapers. The summer schools will bring together students and pioneers from around the world to codesign tangible strategies and innovations. These will be focused on accelerating positive action towards the climate and SDGs and facilitate a transition towards the sustainable development framework. Dates are:
- New York: July 10–17 with a focus on Smart Cities
- Tokyo: August 1–7 with a focus on Smart Farms
- Iceland, September 1–7 with a focus on Smart Oceans