Interview with Ismahane Elouafi, FAO Chief Scientist
A first for the Organization, the role of the Chief Scientist is proving vital in positioning FAO’s know-how and best practices at the helm of technical deliberations and agricultural innovation platforms.
1. As FAO gears to respond to increasingly complex issues at the heart of the food security–sustainability nexus, the creation of the Office of the Chief Scientist, a first for the Organization, is one of the ways FAO is innovating from within in order to have a greater impact. What can you share with us about the duties, priorities and aspirations of this new office?
I am so pleased to have joined FAO at a time when the Organization was honing its vision and adjusting its strategy to meet the Agenda 2030. With FAO’s strategic framework, we have a new business model that places science, innovation and technology at the center of its efforts. I am just six months into my tenure as the first FAO Chief Scientist, and I see that FAO’s understanding of achieving zero hunger and sustainability through a systems approach, rather than targeting piecemeal solutions gives us all a window of opportunity to shift gears, catch up, get back on track and then accelerate our collective impact on the ground and progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. What this means is that under the leadership of our Director-General, FAO aspires to be a catalyst for better production, better nutrition within a better environment, to ultimately have a better life for all, especially the most vulnerable and poorest so that we leave no one behind. And all of this through a genuine transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery efforts have served to mature our thinking on further developing our systems approach and to start unpacking the uncomfortable questions such as ‘what is not working in our agri-food systems?’ This question was really the driver for me to contribute to FAO’s ambitious mandate to achieve a world where malnourished children are a thing of the past and where agriculture is hailed as a solution.
2. From pandemic recovery efforts, to rising food insecurity levels to even more pronounced climate extremes, agricultural livelihoods worldwide need to be rehabilitated not only better, but also differently. What role can investments and research on underutilized or neglected crops (NUS) have as part of these efforts?
COVID-19 has proved beyond doubt that we are all interconnected. We depend on each other. Every country in the world should have access to science, technology and innovation (STI) to transform their agri-food systems to become MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Therefore, it is key to strengthen the capacities of countries to apply STI in their respective contexts. We must ensure better coordination of information dissemination and foster STI partnerships of every kind: international, regional, subregional, South-South, public-private and bilateral ones. I cannot stress enough that the global challenges call for a holistic view of science, technology and innovation, which includes embracing international cooperation and solidarity.
Insufficient investment in international development has always been a critical issue. What many may not realise is that the investment we need today is only a fraction of what was needed 40 years ago. Neglected and underutilized crop species have come into the limelight as a solution to an issue that is now high on the radar of most international development agencies as a way to fight malnutrition and adapt to climate change. In general, neglected underutilized species have low productivity but are rich in nutrition. They also have a very high abiotic stress tolerance, which includes tolerance to heat, drought and salinity. These would be ideal crops to breed while keeping intact their tolerance to heat and drought, two factors brought about by climate change. Therefore, the use of neglected and underutilized crops in a cropping pattern may introduce positive environmental and nutritional outcomes. We must focus our efforts on diversifying the cropping systems and scaling up technological innovation to benefit farmers on the ground. I believe that if we want to be successful on the ground, we must look at how we can partner with and incentivize small and medium enterprises at local level, which will support the shift towards new cropping systems, including NUS-based systems. That is why it is imperative that we invest and scale up in innovative technologies for various neglected underutilized species that fit well for the various agro-ecological systems.
3. Reflecting on the STI Forum earlier this month, scientific cooperation and multi-stakeholder efforts were present in many discussions and calls to action. What role can agricultural innovation have on building consensus and brokering partnerships around the science-policy arena?
Harnessing science, technology and innovation is key for transforming our agri-food systems. However, it is only when everyone comes together to discuss pressing issues, such as bridging the technology divide and tackling increasing inequalities, that any real progress can be made.
Today’s challenges remind us more than ever that to achieve the ambitious transformative changes required, we need to change policies, mindsets, behaviors and business models. This is FAO’s area of strength: providing robust science-based evidence and convening the global community for constructive dialogue, exchange of knowledge and consensus building. FAO is exploring every opportunity to integrate and up-scale STI to transform agri-food systems in order to accelerate progress in our efforts to achieve zero hunger.
The recent STI Forum played an important role in the review and implementation of efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Going forward, the UN Secretary-General’s Food Systems Summit in September aims to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs through a food systems approach, leveraging the interconnectedness of food systems to global challenges such as hunger, climate change, poverty and inequality. It will be preceded by a 2-day virtual event called Science Days on 8-9 July and followed by a pre-Summit event at FAO Headquarters on 26-28 July 2021. The Science Days organized by the Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 and facilitated and hosted by FAO, will offer an important opportunity to support the agenda setting process with scientific evidence and perspectives by leading scientists, researchers, academics, and representatives of government, business and civil society.
4. What role do you see girls and women aspiring to work in science and innovation having, as the world speeds up its efforts to achieve the SDGs?
The participation of youth in science, and particularly that of young women, is vital to spark the innovation to develop the new sustainable and accessible tools and systems to achieve the SDGs. As a judge on the on the BBC’s The Food Chain Global Youth Champion Award 2021, and on the Transformative Research Challenge launched by the World Food Forum, I am encouraged by the caliber of projects by young scientists and researchers from around the world who are eager to contribute to the creation of a better food future. Young scientists such Mohammed Ashour, Gabriel Mott, Shobhita Soor, Jesse Pearlstein and Zev Thompson, that won the 2013 Hult Prize Challenge (1M $), started a bug boom. As a direct result of their work the whole sector of insect proteins as a feed or for human consumption is on a development trajectory. The MIT Solve Sustainable Food Systems Challenge winner “Whole Surplus” provides a digital platform for food businesses to resell, donate, and recycle their unsold surplus inventories, reducing food waste and increasing efficiency.
I am particularly heartened to see young scientists behind winning projects, several of them female, because I firmly believe that the world needs more young people and particularly young women working in science!
5. Ahead of the UN Food System Summit Science Days in July, what are some of the key topics that FAO would like to promote or focus on, in the spirit of exploring the frontiers of science and its contributions to food security and agri-food system transformation?
FAO is engaged in a range of activities that promote access to technologies and innovations, including biotechnologies and digital agriculture.
Biotechnologies encompasses a broad range of technologies, including low-tech approaches such as the use of artificial insemination, fermentation techniques and biofertilizers, as well as high-tech approaches involving advanced molecular-based methodologies, including whole genome sequencing and gene editing.
Digital technologies are rapidly transforming our economies and societies. Their adoption is driving down information and transaction costs, improving efficiency, creating new jobs, generating new income streams and saving resources.
Science can play a pivotal role in identifying synergies and trade-offs across the different dimensions of agri-food systems and to advance evidence-based policymaking. For FAO to have a stronger science-based voice, we must focus on how scientific research and development can contribute to ‘turning things around’ and provide sustainable solutions to achieve the SDGs. We must generate and curate content in a range of formats to enhance FAO’s effectiveness in engaging with and influencing target audiences.
The upcoming Science Days will offer an unprecedented opportunity to take stock of the science and evidence base and gaps, engage in dialogues and share experiences around science-based actions and solutions.
We must elaborate new and enabling policies based on the best available evidence – policies that foster the production of nutritious foods and make them safe, affordable and accessible. Strengthening the science-policy interface is critical for that. FAO’s new centers - the Joint FAO/WHO Center integrating FAO’s work on food safety, animal diseases and AMR through a One Health approach, and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre on Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, are advancing the knowledge base to inform action and acting as support hubs for science-policy dialogue.