Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

16 October 2024

World Food Day

What can academia do?

Ensuring the right to food for all requires joint efforts to tackle hunger and poverty by focusing on the production and consumption of diverse, safe and nutritious foods, and building resilience to shocks, vulnerabilities and stresses. The academic community has an important role to play. In fact, research, data, technology, and innovation can be powerful tools for enhancing food safety and food security, as well as for transforming agrifood systems for a better future and a better life for all. 

Evidence-based methods and new technologies are fundamental to shaping agrifood systems that are both sustainable and resilient. The academic community can share research, data and analysis and collaborate with policymakers to help design strategies that offer support to people impacted by crises. 

The academic community needs to facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge from research institutions to the field and develop extension services and partnerships with agricultural organizations to ensure that farmers have access to the latest advancements. Agriculture universities and facilities can promote participatory extension and training models such as Farmer Field and Business Schools (FFBS) and community-based modalities. 

It's important to share knowledge and provide training to people on how to make agrifood systems more sustainable and resilient to be able to withstand global shocks and challenges. The academic community can share ideas and information through think tanks that translate academic research for policy makers or invest in capacity-building initiatives, while also enabling access to technology and data for all. 

Disseminate your knowledge and advocate for access to diverse, safe and nutritious foods for all. If you are a scientist or a researcher, you can combine your expertise with the latest data and evidence to speak about inequalities, promote healthy diets, food safety, reduce food loss and waste and protect natural resources.   

To promote well-being and address threats to health and ecosystems, we need integrated and holistic solutions. One such example is the One Health approach, which plays a key role in this regard as it acknowledges the interdependence of health between people, animals, plants, and the environment. Researchers can adopt this holistic approach by working together with various fields and communities to find ways to manage all the components of ecosystems sustainably. 

FAO collaborates with academia and research institutions to share knowledge, strengthen capacities, and provide evidence-based solutions to policy processes. Collaborate with FAO to gain access to information and knowledge resources, participate in policy dialogue and engage with stakeholders to scale-up experiences and best practices. For more information on how to collaborate with FAO, consult the dedicated webpage or contact [email protected].