Concurrent with the world-wide urbanization process, a structural change in agriculture takes place on a global scale. This structural change is fuelled by the globalization of agricultural value chains as well as by a growing capital and knowledge intensity in the area of agricultural production. Considering sustainability aspects, the agricultural production sector has to confront these developments. How will the agricultural and food economy respond to the economic, social and ecological implications and assume social responsibility? How will it communicate the advantages of modernization to society?
As a consequence of expanding urbanization and increased economic development, the demand for processed food will increase in developing and emerging countries. The provision of healthy and safe food products for the urban population will require the development of innovative technologies. In addition to the increasing demand for food and non-food products, the comprehensive provision of ecosystem services and biodiversity of agricultural landscapes will have an increasing importance. What are appropriate ways to plan the intensification of the production at landscape level with regard to the entire value chain?
The upcoming challenges of the agricultural and food economy will have to be seen in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The implementation of the extensive SDG-agenda will require a close coordination and integration of different policy areas. How will we reach a closer coordination of the agricultural policy, the energy policy, the climate policy, the environmental policy and the public health policy?
The ongoing climate change induces ecological and nutritional changes that have an impact on human beings as well as on animals. So far, these impacts are largely unknown. They will require the adjustment of diet plans according to the specific needs. How will we meet the challenge of a sufficient supply of the population with animal-based proteins, for instance?
The Leibniz Research Alliance “Sustainable Food Production and Healthy Nutrition” - as a unique cluster of competence in the field of food production and nutrition - addresses these complex issues and questions in an interdisciplinary way. In this panel discussion, representatives of partner institutes of the Leibniz Research Alliance “Sustainable Food Production and Healthy Nutrition” will briefly present their expertise and then discuss potential solutions and opportunities for cooperation with the audience.
Program of the expert panel discussion
Welcome address:
Prof. Dr. Reiner Brunsch, Speaker of the Leibniz Research Alliance “Sustainable Food Production and Healthy Nutrition“, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam Bornim (ATB)
Panel guests:
Dr. Bernhard Url, Executive Director of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Prof. Dr. Alfons Balmann, Director of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Head of the Department Structural Change
Prof. Dr. Sonoko D. Bellingrath-Kimura, Head of the Institute of Land Use Systems, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
Dr. Ina Danquah, Scientific staff member of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam Rehbruecke (DIfE)
Prof. Dr. Peter Köhler, Vice director of the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Lebensmittelchemie, Leibniz Institut (DFA) (German Research Centre for Food Chemistry), Head of the Working Group Structure-Function Relationships of Biopolymers
Prof. Dr. Christa Kühn, Head of the Genome Physiology Unit, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN)
Prof. Dr. Hermann Lotze-Campen, Chair of PIK Research Domain Climate Impact and Vulnerabilities, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Moderator:
Dr. Manja-Christina Reuter, Coordinator of the Leibniz Research Alliance “Sustainable Food Production and Healthy Nutrition“ (LRA Food and Nutrition), Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam Bornim (ATB)
Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2016
14 - 16 January 2016
CityCube Berlin | Germany
