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Research & Policy: two peas in a pod? A dialogue for food security impact

New Babylon Meeting Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands Organized by: NWO-WOTRO, F&BKP

The conference “Research & Policy: two peas in a pod? A dialogue for food security impact” on December 1, organized by NWO-WOTRO and the F&BKP in close collaboration with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, was a major step in improving the link between research and policy. In particular between the (interim) results of the research projects funded within the Food & Business Applied Research Fund (ARF) and the Global Challenges Programme (GCP), and Dutch policy in the field of Food and Nutrition Security and private sector development. Around 150 participants from the Netherlands, Africa and South Asia gathered in The Hague to share and connect their work in the field of food security.

 

ACED is funded by the NWO-WOTRO to conduct policy research activities on inland fisheries and urban agriculture in Benin. During the conference, ACED co-chaired two sessions.

  • Fisheries & aquaculture. Despite its nutritious value and capacity to provide a livelihood for many in the developing world, fish is surprisingly missing from policy strategies for food security. The session, “Capture fisheries, aquaculture and food security”, sought to address the “orphan status” of fish and explore ways in which this nutritious protein can be moved up the food agenda.
  • Urban food systems. Urban food systems are becoming increasingly important as a way of feeding the world’s growing urban population. In the session on urban food systems, Nicky Pouw from the University of Amsterdam urged participants to build in circular economy objectives and become more socio-economically viable and sustainable in order to grow urban food systems.

Watch the interview with Frejus Thoto and Willem Schoustra (Video by The Broker)


Please find here a link to the newsletter with all conference highlights and results, including the dynamic discussions during eight thematic sessions in various conference blogs.

For a visual impression of the day, please take a look at the conference video.

Keynote speakers elaborated on the role of research in development practices and the need to consider food systems within a wider policy and (local) political context to achieve changes. In the thematic sessions results from ARF & GCP research projects were presented followed by lively dialogues on how to improve the policy-research link and which bottlenecks need to be addressed. In addition, the Agrofood Broker of the Year was announced and an ARF booklet presented on the unique approach of the ARF.

The conference was organized as one step in a broader process. It followed an intensive preparation trajectory in which researchers, practitioners and policy representatives were actively engaged in starting the dialogue on the different themes. In the coming period, the F&BKP and NWO-WOTRO together with the actors involved will identify and facilitate follow-up activities based on the session results.

Download the concept note

[The main content of this synthesis article on the event was originally published here]