The document discusses the need for a World Food Research and Innovation Forum (WFRIF) to address challenges to achieving global sustainable food security and safety such as increasing population and decreasing resources, and proposes that the WFRIF focus on using research and innovation in areas like increasing yields, reducing waste, improving safety, and ensuring access to resources for small producers. The WFRIF would convene international stakeholders to share knowledge and best practices around developing solutions to these challenges through a conference at EXPO Milano 2015.

1. The World Food Research and
Innovation Forum
on Sustainable Food Security and
Safety: its main socio-economical and
innovation drivers and objectives
Fabio Fava
University of Bologna & IT Representative for Bioeconomy in
Horizon2020 committees
Samuel Godefroy
World Bank & University Laval, Québec

2. Why a WFR&IF on Sustainable Food
Security and Safety?
• Currently, about 3 billions of the world’s population suffer from chronic
inadequate nutrition. Conversely, more than 2 billion people are
overweight or obese (OECD, 2013; FAO-IFAD-WFP, 2013);
• The global population is projected to reach over 9 billion by 2050; this
requires a 60% increase in food production (relative to 2005; UN World
Food Programme, 2012) to meet food demand;
• Increased competition for land, water and other natural resources as
well as climate changes (causing biodiversity losses, plant and animal
diseases, etc), are threatening agro-food production in many areas.
Further, remarkable food wastages and the low efficiency of the current
food processing are adversely affecting the availability of food.

3. Can Research & Innovation (R&I) tackle such
challenges? The WFR&IF vision
The following R&I-based actions can contribute to a global and durable
Sustainable Food Security and Safety. Among other, there are:
A) to increase primary production yields from the current agriculture (incl.
livestock), fishery and aquaculture whilst simultaneously reducing
environmental impact and increasing resilience to climate change by
increasing soil fertility and adopting improved cultivars, sustainable
agricultural models, precision farming and advanced mechanization;
B) to develop new agricultural landscapes via rural and marginal land
development, integrated land-use planning (to produce food and bio-
based products/fuels), wider eco-system service provision and local
biodiversity exploitation and boost marine aquaculture, urban farming,
horticulture and the use of alternative sources of proteins;

4. C) to minimize raw material losses and food wastage throughout the
entire food chain, via longer-range agricultural planning and demand
forecasting, more resistant cultivars, more efficient processing (i.e.,
producing more food and less byproducts and waste with lower water
and energy consumption), smarter packaging and supply and
distribution chain logistics. Conversion of unavoidable by-products and
expired food into food ingredients and products, and water to be
reused;
D) to improve food safety and quality (lower the occurrence of
chemical, microbial and biological contaminants throughout the whole
food chain), via the adoption of more resistant cultivars, innovative
technological processes, smarter packaging, and real time control
methods for hazards. Improvement of toxicological tests;
Can Research & Innovation (R&I) tackle such
challenges? The WFR&IF vision (con’t)

5. E) to improve the availability of healthy, safe and nutritional advantageous
foods, both traditional and novel foods;
F) to promote healthy diets via science-based information and education of
the general population and sound knowledge on the beneficial and adverse
health effects of foods. To improve knowledge on the nexus diet, life style
and heath;
G) to ensure, in developing Countries, the access to resources (i.e.,
knowledge/technology, infrastructures, finances/local investments, lands, etc)
to local small-scale food producers, women and family farmers, pastoralists
and fishers, to generate economic growth and equity, via policy, social and
communication actions. The establishment of local public/private Clusters
and the implementation of frugal innovation processes and practices are
recommended.
Can Research & Innovation (R&I) tackle such
challenges? The WFR&IF vision (con’t)

6. Why a specific focus on Food Safety at
the WFR&IF?
Novel raw materials (i.e., botanicals and herbs), ingredients (i.e.,
functional compounds, also from by-products), new production
processes, packaging materials (i.e. nanomaterials) may introduce new
chemical and biological hazards.
Food fraud incidents are continuously reported.
A diet unbalanced from the nutritional point of view can cause chronic
diseases (nutritional safety).
This scenario creates new challenges for food producers, regulators and
consumers alike, and calls for enhancing efforts to develop risk
assessment and management tools and improved cooperation between
the different actors of the value chain.

7. The WFR&IF convenes a setting for a dialogue on food safety
and security at a strategic level, gathering decision and policy
makers, international food regulators, senior officials from the
food industry as well representatives of the international
consumer community.
The WFR&IF would enable sharing knowledge and best
practices and support partnership development, aiming to reach
common values and systems supporting a global sustainable
food security and safety. It would also enable to create support
for added investment in capacity building.
WFR&IF actions for a global Safer Food Security

8. WFR&IF EXPO Conference: Targets and Structure
EXPO Milano 2015
Italian Pavillon
Sept 22, 2015,
10.30 am
EXPO Milano 2015
Italian Pavillon
Sept 22, 2015
3.30 pm
EXPO Milano 2015
Italian Pavillon
Sept 23, 2015
10.30 am
World Food Research &
Technology Forum
World Food Safety &
Security Forum
Plenary Session
Target
a(endance
Interna'onal
leaders
of
R&I
and
technology
of
the
food
industry
Key
Actors
Research
community,
Technological
pla:orms,
KIC,
Business,
Interna'onal
Ins'tu'ons,
etc
Target
a(endance
Interna'onal
Authori'es
and
world
wide
Ins'tu'ons
with
func'ons
in
regula'on,
control
and
supervision
on
food
safety
and
security
Key
Actors
EU
and
Interna'onal
Ins'tu'ons,
Research
community,
EFSA,
FDA,
Business,
etc
Target
a(endance
&
Key
actors
Global
Players
and
worldwide
Strategic
Actors
of
Sustainable
food
Security
and
Safety
and
Bioeconomy

9. CONTACTS
worldfoodforum.eu
Tweet to @WFFofficial
info@worldfoodforum.eu