Virtual connections to FAO in Rome
During this year’s three-day ETH Zurich Master’s course on Food Security, students developed ideas for new tools, instruments or policy measures to stimulate a transformation to sustainable food systems.
Since 2014, the WFSC has collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the ETH Zurich Sustainable Agroecosystems Group to offer a three-day course for ETH Zurich Master’s students at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
This year, on the initiative of Ambassador Pio Wennubst, the course was organized in close collaboration with the Swiss Representation to FAO/International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The objective of the course was to develop and discuss ideas on how Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible production and Consumption) could be used as a vehicle to promote sustainable food systems, ensure food security, and protect natural resources. During the course, students had the chance to develop ideas for new tools, instruments, or policy measures stimulating a transformation of food systems. The core concept was a shifting away from a supply side oriented view to a holistic approach, including the consumption perspective, while reducing negative side effects of resource-intense food production.
The work was organized around key topics that were studied and analyzed in groups. Possible solutions and the ideas developed were exchanged and debated in a three-day online setting, with experts from FAO and IFAD participating. The students have the opportunity to further discuss their suggestions in an event organized by the Swiss Representation to FAO/IFAD and WFP this autumn. This event, set-up as a critical debate, aims to stimulate discussions at multinational level in preparation of next year’s UN Food Systems Summit.