UN SDSN Mediterranean and Tuscany Region. Solutions for Agri-food Sustainability in the Mediterranean

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1 UN SDSN Mediterranean and Tuscany Region in cooperation with UniMED organize Solutions for Agri-food Sustainability in the Mediterranean Policies, Technologies and Business Models University of Siena, Siena, Italy March 5 and 6, 2015 The 2014 Conference will mainly focus on the following topics: Efficient Use of Resources in Agriculture Transformative Changes in Technologies and Policies in Agri-food Culture New Business Models for Agriculture Special Sessions will be planned to present: the new MOOC by UN sdsn.edu on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems; Solutions for Agri-food Sustainability proposed by MED Solutions members; Solutions for Agri-food Sustainability proposed by students. The United Nations SDSN Initiative Launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August 2012, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable development problem solving at local, national, and global scales. SDSN is chaired by Jeffrey Sachs from Columbia University (for more details see unsdsn.org). University of Siena coordinates the SDSN Regional hub for the Mediterranean. Conference concept Sustainable development is a holistic concept with four interconnected dimensions: economic development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and good governance. Measures taken to improve one dimension often improve others. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressing these four dimensions and their concrete targets for the post-2015 era are expected to be agreed on by the global community in The priorities for these targets will vary because each country needs to choose its own sustainable development path, with realistic, achievable targets that connect to the overall global goals.

2 Agriculture and food will play a prominent role in the post-2015 agenda, for all countries in the Mediterranean and beyond. A sustainable development path for future food systems will require transformative changes in technologies, policies and behavior of all actors along the whole food chain. Many interventions are needed and not all can be done at once and in every country. Changing diets towards more healthy, less resource-intensive food is likely to be a slow, uneven process. On the supply side, a critical issue is to increase production on existing crop land by closing yield and efficiency gaps and thus utilizing natural resources more widely, but all this needs to be done in the context of meeting consumer demands for safe, high-quality food. Wide access to state of the art knowledge and technology is a prerequisite for achieving a sustainable intensification of agriculture. Many of the solutions exist or could, with wise investments, become available in the next years. The Mediterranean region has a long history of food production and food culture in an environment that presents many socioeconomic and biophysical challenges. New technologies and new business models for farming and food processing will need to play a major role in the region s future development. This conference will explore possible pathways and solutions for the region to become a showcase for sustainable agro-food culture, with responsible business development as a key driver for rural development and sustainable use of natural resources for high-quality food production. The conference will provide a platform for debate and exchange of information for network partners, policymakers, scholars and stakeholders who have an interest in agro-food sustainability in the Mediterranean region. The outcome of the conference will be an advancement in the definition of a Mediterranean perspective on agro-food sustainability within the post-2015 era, as proposed by SDSN. Outputs of the Conference will include a position paper summarizing a discussion of specific challenges facing Mediterranean societies, an exchange of views on relevant regional indicators and targets for sustainable agriculture, as well as the adoption of possible solutions. Keynote Speakers Many eminent personalities have confirmed their presence as Keynote Speakers, among them: Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Director of UN SDSN Initiative; Achim Doberman, Co-Chair of SDSN Thematic Group on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems ; Olivier Dubois, Senior Natural Resources Officer, FAO, Rome; Hamid El Zoheiry, President of the EMUNI University (Portorož, Slovenia); Mouïn Hamzé, Secretary General of the National Council for Scientific Research-Lebanon; Sébastien Treyer, Director of Agricultural Program at IDDRI, France. In collaboration with

3 2nd MED Solutions Conference DRAFT PROGRAM MARCH 5, :00-9:15 Registration 9:15-10:00 Welcome remarks Angelo Riccaboni, UN SDSN Mediterranean Chair Stefania Giannini*, Italian Minister of University and Research Gianni Salvadori, Agriculture Minister, Tuscany Region, Policy and Vision in Agri-food Sustainability Made in Tuscany Mouïn Hamzé, Secretary General of the National Council for Scientific Research-Lebanon; Franco Rizzi, Chairman UniMED 10:00-10:45Agri-food Visions from the Global to the Mediterranean Context Jeffrey Sachs, Director of UN SDSN, Keynote Presentation on SDGs and the Post-2015 Process: the Challenges and Solutions Ahead in Agriculture Achim Dobermann, SDSN Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Co-Chair Setting Relevant Regional Indicators and Targets for Sustainable Agriculture 10:45-11:00 Coffee Break 11:00-11:30 EU Representative*, EU Common Agricultural Policy and its Implications in the Mediterranean Context :15 Session 1: Efficiency Use of Resources in Agriculture Chair: Achim Dobermann Resource-use Efficiency from a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Perspective Olivier Dubois*, Senior Natural Resources Officer, FAO, Rome Challenges in Sustainable Local Rural Development Tia Kansara, Director, Kansara Hackney Ltd, PhD Researcher, UCL Energy Institute, UK Sustainable development in the Mediterranean Area Florence Jacquet Researcher France INRA, UMR Moisa, France 13:15-14:15 Lunch Break

4 14:15-15:30 Session 2: Transformative Changes in Technologies and Policies in Agro-food Sector Chair: Sébastien Treyer, Director of Agricultural Program at IDDRI, France Aden Aw-Hassan, Director, ICARDA, Jordan Claudio Rossi, INSTM, Italy Matthieu Brun, Research Fellow Food and agriculture policies at IDDRI, France 15:30 17:15 Session 3: New Business Models for Agriculture Francesco Candelari, Fondazione CRT, UNAOC - Entrepreneurs for Social Change Dionys Forster, Corporate Operations Agriculture, Nestlé - A Corporate Perspective on Agricultural Sustainability Emma Ben Haouala - Bernegger, Chambre Tuniso-Suisse de Commerce et d Industrie, Tunisia - The case of sustainable business transformation in Tunisia: olive oil and olive-based products, fruits, vegetables, preserves, cereal, dairy products Panel: Mark Leighton Sustainability and Environmental Management Program (SEM) Harvard University Extension; Giacomo Fabietti Siena University, Italy; Samira Nefzi, Tunisian Observatory of Environment and Sustainable Development. Session 4: The role of Students for Sustainable Development Presentation of SDSN Youth. 19:30-20:30 Cocktail at the Rectorate with screening of an excerpt from the documentary Natural Resistance, with the participation of filmmaker Jonathan Nossiter and featured agricultural producers, including Pacina: Giovanna Tiezzi e Stefano Borsa, Cascina degli Ulivi: Stefano Bellotti, La Stoppa: Elena Pantaleoni, La Distesa: Corrado Dottori e Valeria Bochi MARCH 6, :00-11:00 Session 5: Solutions and Projects on Agri-Food Sustainability Presentation of Solutions and Projects Presentation of a trailer on the new MOOC by UN sdsn.edu on Sustainable agriculture and food systems

5 11:00-11:15 Coffee Break Discussion with Participants moderated by Jeffrey Sachs and Achim Dobermann and Remarks by Workshop Moderators MED Solutions: next steps, program of activities and organization Concluding Remarks by Angelo Riccaboni and Jeffrey Sachs 13:15-14:30 Lunch Break with screening of images from MED Solutions Flagship Initiative 2013 Plastic Busters [Participants marked with * are to be confirmed]