Historic Agreement between Federico II University and FAO to Promote Sustainable and Democratic Food Policies

A historic agreement was signed today between Federico II University and the FAO. A Memorandum of Understanding for the support of policies aimed at sustainable and above all democratic food, therefore food for all and of quality, for the achievement of those SDGs that we know are important and that await us in the coming years. It is an agreement that we have worked hard on, which involves the commitment of the University but also of the great Agritech project, of which we are national coordinators. A new season of internationalization of our effort in the agriculture sector begins. Between the FAO and Federico II there is a great communion of intent. The research and teaching themes of our University respond to global challenges such as those related to the sustainability of food systems and adaptation to climate change. Now it is an agreement with Federico II but soon, when the agreement with Agritech is also signed, the memorandum of understanding will involve 30 Italian universities linked to the National Center. Thus the rector of the University of Naples Federico II, Matteo Lorito, in relation to the agreement signed this afternoon in Rome with the FAO Director General, the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture, Qu Dongyu, to promote projects and concrete actions for food security and the health of the planet. The FAO and the University share common goals in promoting sustainable agriculture, addressing the challenges of climate change and actively contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. With this agreement, the FAO and the University declare their intention to work together to promote the transfer of knowledge, innovation and technologies for resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, Qu Dongyu declared. In the coming years, the FAO and Federico II will share projects and paths to respond to the objectives of the strategic agenda of the World Organization, and will promote concrete actions for food security and the health of the planet. Present at the signing of the agreement were Danilo Ercolini, Director of the Department of Agriculture of the University Federico II and Scientific Director of the Agritech Foundation, Marco Pacini, Director of Agritech- National Research Center for Agriculture Technologies, Maurizio Martina, Deputy Director FAO, Bruno Archi, Italian Ambassador to the FAO, and Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist. Federico II will work together with the FAO technicians, and in particular with the Innovation Department, for the drafting and implementation of the implementing agreements, in continuity with the collaborations already started. Among the first actions of Federico II, the interaction between the students of the master's degree course in Sustainable Food System and the FAO. Their participation in events or seminars on sustainable development and the objectives of the FAO agenda at the Rome headquarters of the World Organization will be scheduled, as an integration of training activities. As for the Agritech Center, after the signing of the agreement that will take place in the coming months, as provided for in the letter of intent signed today, the actions will start from the strategic agenda of the FAO. The most consistent activity lines with those of Agritech will be selected and a memorandum understanding will be made to start with implementing agreements of activities considered a priority and research projects. We hope that in the future this partnership can bring further funding for Agritech at the international level, always with the aim of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals, says Danilo Ercolini. The collaboration between the two entities is strengthened by the great skills in various fields of sciences of Federico II, the oldest secular university in the world, a generalist university, with a Department of Agriculture among the most innovative, whose research and teaching activities focus on areas of global relevance, such as, for example, sustainable productivity, promoting resilience to climate change, sustainable development of marginal areas, Department that has also given life to a new international Master of Science course in Sustainable Food Systems for the training of sustainability managers for the agri-food business and the Agritech Academy. The University Federico II is also the promoting entity of the National Agritech Center for the development of New Technologies in Agriculture and is responsible for the national HUB that will be based in Naples; a project worth about 350 million euros of which 320 million are charged to the Pnrr: an unprecedented funding for agri-food research.