Webinar series on Food Systems

This summer, the A5 Alliance (China Agricultural University, Cornell University, University of California Davis, University of Sao Paulo, and Wageningen University & Research) is presenting a free webinar series on food systems and their future. The series is intended for interested students at all levels, but was designed with senior undergraduate students and first-year graduate students in agriculture, food or a related field in mind. With events like the United Nations Food System Summit and the COP26 ahead, this provides a perfect opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of the food systems approach and food systems transformations.

In 4 sessions between July 29th till August 3rd, experts from renowned institutes around the globe will provide interactive lectures in a webinar series that you can join for free, after registration. You don't need a background in food systems: a large dose of curiosity is enough. If you want to participate just fill out the registration form.

The sessions

The sessions provide a diverse range of perspectives on the food systems approach. You will learn about food and nutrition security, sustainability, value-chain interventions, stakeholders, and even genomic and transcriptomic tools! 

• On July 29, from 9am - 10:30am BRT, China Agricultural University (CAU) will host the first session, called “Transforming agri-food systems towards nutrition and sustainability". Professors Ting Meng and Jingjing Wang will present a lecture, followed by reflections with Q&A by two of CAU's internationally most renowned Professors: Professor Shenggen Fan (former DG of IFPRI and currently Chair Professor at CAU) and Professor Fusuo Zhang (Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the National Academy of Agriculture Green Development at CAU)
• On July 30, from 11am – 12:30 pm BRT, Professors Charles Nicholson (Applied Economics and Policy at the department of Controlled Environment Agriculture of Cornell University) will host an interactive session on participatory systems modeling (building conceptual and quantitative food systems models with stakeholders), and how they can be used to identify priority value-chain interventions. He will use a case example from work with stakeholders on the vegetable value chain serving Nairobi, Kenya to identify interventions to increase vegetable consumption to align more closely with WHO recommendations.
• On August 2, from 11am-12:30 BRT, Dr. Vivian Valencia from Wageningen University. Dr. Valencia is the Research Coordinator of the Global Network of Lighthouse Farms. You will learn about this project through several real life cases of existing, commercially operating farms in the real world, that are 'already in 2050'. These farms show what can be achieved within the bio-physical and socio-economic solution spaces. Food Systems transformation at first hand!
• On August 3, from 11am-12:30 am BRT the University of Sao Paulo Luiz de Quiroz College of Agriculture will host the last session, by Professor Aline César, Molecular Biology at the Department of Agri-food Industry, Food and Nutrition. Her session will be on the application of genomic and transcriptomic tools applied in Food Systems research, with special attention to the production of animal food with different nutritional profiles, and will include recent results from her own research.​