Agricultural fellows from 11 countries came together in October to share insights on agricultural research projects from Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific.
This year, the United Nations stated that over 800 million people are critically malnourished. A further two billion are overweight and obese. Food activities, ranging from production to consumption and waste management, account for up to 29% of greenhouse gas emissions. These issues present food and nutrition security challenges that require expertise from a range of disciplines and sectors.
With this in mind, ISF Food Systems Deputy Director Federico Davila coordinated with the University of the Sunshine Coast to host 15 international agricultural fellows for a knowledge exchange seminar at UTS last month.
The fellows provided an update on how their research into agronomic and resource management practices are being conducted in the 11 countries that they represent.
They were in Australia for four weeks under John Dillon Scholarships, supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), a research funding agency of Australia’s international development program. They work in partnership models between research institutions and with farmers to improve productivity and advance knowledge of agricultural research.
The ISF team provided the fellows with an overview of our research areas and our 20 years experience in designing, conducting, and publishing high impact transdisciplinary research.
Discussions were held around the challenges of managing complex projects that seek to improve human wellbeing and environmental sustainability, and areas for future collaboration were identified, to expand transdisciplinary approaches to food systems research.
At ISF, we are advancing international agricultural research through focusing on synergies between sectors, for example waste water recycling and agricultural inputs. We are also expanding our research into improving gender and water management outcomes in agricultural landscapes through using participatory systems methods.
For more information get in touch with Federico Davila.