FAO Brussels Dialogue: When science meets policy to boost food systems transformation

Organized as an independent United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Dialogue on the sidelines of the UNFSS Science Days, this Brussels Dialogue brought together European and international academia and science actors, policy-makers and practitioners, as well as farmers’ organizations and private sector representatives, to share expertise and exchange views on the importance of science for efficient policy-making on food systems. For the first time, participants joined us from as many as 89 countries worldwide!

Science, technology and innovation were the main key words of the events. Experts provided their perspectives on what governance mechanisms are needed at global, regional and country level to ensure an efficient dialogue between science and policy-making, and explained how they  can help to support farmers through better access to knowledge, science, innovation, technologies and capacity-building.

FAO Liaison Office in Brussels Director ad interim Rodrigo de Lapuerta welcome the participants and invited them to look at science not as simple data, but as a powerful tool to find game-changing solutions for agriculture, while FAO Chief Scientist Ismahane Elouafi explained the role of the United Nations Food Systems Summit and its Scientific Group in making key linkages between science and efficient policy-making. She went on to outline the key role of FAO in strengthening research and innovation in agriculture.

Andrea Meza Murillo, Minister of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica, joined the conversation to add interesting insights on issues related to the environmental agenda, and described how the country is mainstreaming sustainability in national policies.

Deputy Director-General of the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Patrick Child underlined the crucial role of EU initiatives in improving science-based policy-making. Examples include Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, and Food 2030, its research and innovation policy framework to transform food systems.

Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) Bernard Magenhann explained how the JRC’s scientific evidence guides EU policies and decision-making.

Deputy Director-General at the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships Marjeta Jager presented the audience with some key EU perspectives on the upcoming UNFSS in the light of its recently adopted EU Council Conclusions. In additional, she shared some thoughts on how the EU can further support agricultural research and innovation in developing countries.

The high-level contributions were followed by two panel discussions. In the first panel on ‘How can a science-policy interface contribute to eliminating hunger and ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all?’, FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen talked about the four accelerators: real-time data, technology, innovation and complements, so as to have better capacity to model policy impacts and inform policy-making.

In the second panel discussion, speakers described how science-policy dialogue can help to reconcile agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability. Member of the European Parliament and the European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition Martin Hojsík was among the speakers.

Closing the session, Deputy to the United Nations Special Envoy for the UNFSS Martin Frick shared information on the process for the Summit going forward. He highlighted the high level of inclusivity of the Summit, which has seen large numbers of countries organizing national-level dialogues.

Aleš Irgolič, Secretary of State within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia, holding the EU Council Presidency, noted the need to co-create and work together more efficiently by advancing a new and inclusive business model that would enable all the actors in food value chains to have timely, consistent and comprehensive data. “We need to bridge the knowledge and governance gap,” she said. “The upcoming UN Food Systems Summit is a unique opportunity to make this happen and today, more than ever, we need to join forces, minds, resources, knowledge and financial means to succeed together.”

The Brussels Dialogue was moderated by EU Convenor for the UNFSS and EU Representative in Slovakia Ladislav Miko and Director of the FAO Office of Innovation Khalid Bomba.

The recording of the session is available here.