UNICRI, in cooperation with John Cabot University (JCU), is organizing the second edition of the Specialized Course on Food and Nutrition Security at the time of COVID-19, which will be delivered online, from 23 to 27 November 2020.
The Specialized Course will provide participants with a fundamental understanding of main determinants and issues connected to food security.
The unprecedented times the world is going through demand for an immediate and prompt reaction to mitigate the additional negative impacts the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the food security sector. While countering malnutrition and facilitating access to food, international and national institutions highlight the importance of controlling and monitoring the food supply chain. Substitution, adulteration, mislabelling, counterfeiting and misrepresentation of food products are growing exponentially and represent a public health and economic harm. Not to mention that food fraud generates illicit profits that allow criminals to expand their trades and their areas of influence.
Furthermore, armed conflicts, terrorism, the absence of the rule of law and the constant political instability are hindering the capacity of the population to produce food and meet nutritional requirements, expanding the cycle of hunger, poverty and violence generated by the need to access essential resources. Finally, phenomena related to climate change, such as floods, desertification and soil erosion, illegal exploitation of resources and environmental crimes are producing dramatic consequences on food production.
These scenarios, exacerbated by the current pandemic, compel the global community to re-shape the entire food supply chain, from production to consumption. Aiming to reach the second SDG “Zero Hunger” within 2030, States and international organisations need to find a balance between economic development, environmental protection and food security.
