Future Food Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched a 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 joint programme aims to 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 USA.
The FAO - FFI Joint Programme 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.
José Graziano da Silva, director general of FAO, said, “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. Food is at the centre of this equation. Farmers, food industry leaders, food experts, innovators and cooks represent the engine of change. Technology and digital platforms are enablers.”
Sara Roversi, founder of the Future Food Institute, added, “We are facing rapid cultural, social and environmental challenges. The food industry is the first victim of this change but also one of those responsible for the crisis.”
“Our joint program will foster a lifelong learning mindset. We will do this by continuing to develop tools that generate and maintain a positive attitude towards learning both for personal and professional development. Our focus is on a competency-based new vision that is able to accelerate action towards both global health and environmental issues.”
The first FAO and Future Food Institute 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 co-design 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.