FAO and WUR transformative partnership panel discussion

FAO and WUR have a long-standing partnership and share common objectives to promote and carry out innovative and sustainable approaches for improving lives while safeguarding natural resources in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In December 2021, a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the FAO Director-General and the President of the Wageningen University & Research Executive Board to further strengthen and accelerate their cooperation. FAO and WUR committed to strengthening capacity building, facilitating knowledge exchanges, and providing resources to advance their common goals.  They will enhance dialogue on science, including by developing knowledge and expertise, and harness the foremost science-based evidence on emerging technologies for agrifood systems. 

Areas of cooperation

Under this new framework agreement, eight technical areas of cooperation have been established:

1. Improved agrifood economics
2. Sustainable animal production and health
3. Impacts of climate change, biodiversity, and environment
4. Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
5. Improved food security and nutrition
6. Strengthened agrifood systems and food safety
7. Sustainable forestry
8. Partnership enhancement

Global One Health as a linking pin

As a linking pin in all these areas of cooperation, 'Global One Health' has been chosen as the theme around which the expert panel will talk about: Transformative Partnerships and Communicating and harnessing science effectively.

This event aims to:

1. Showcase FAO’s and WUR’s visions, missions, and their joint efforts to support the achievement of the SDGs through effective science communication, dissemination and application of scientific knowledge in field level activities, including of the crucial role of education, capacity development, lifelong learning, and training.

2. Discuss the role of transformative partnerships in developing scientific knowledge, facilitating policies debate that are science and evidence-based, and advocating and promoting science-policy interfaces for agrifood systems transformation to support the One Health Approach.

3. Provide a networking and knowledge exchange platform for experts, students and professionals during a week full of events due to the concomitant realization of three fora: the World Food Forum, the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, and the Science and Innovation Forum.

4. Inspire the audience to learn more about FAO-WUR joint work and on the role of effective science communication for agrifood systems transformation.