2nd MED Solutions Conference: Solutions for Agri-food Sustainability in the Mediterranean. Policies, Technologies and Business Model

The 2nd MED Solutions Conference, titled Solutions for Agri-food Sustainability in the Mediterranean. Policies, Technologies and Business Model, will take place on March 5-6, 2015 at University of Siena. This edition is organised by the UN SDSN Mediterranean, Tuscany Region, the University of Siena, in cooperation with UNIMED.

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 http://unsdsn.org/ )   University of Siena coordinates the SDSN Regional hub for the Mediterranean.

The key topics of this year conference are agriculture and food which play a prominent role in the post-2015 agenda, for all countries in the Mediterranean and beyond. 

The conference, being 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, intends to explore possible pathways and solutions for the region to become a showcase for sustainable agro-food culture and sustainable use of natural resources for high-quality food production.

--

DRAFT PROGRAMME

MARCH 5, 2015

9:00-9:15  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

10:00-10:45 Agri-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

11.30-13:15 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

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, University of Siena, Italy - Toward the Era of Sustainable Agricolture
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 Envirnmental Management Program (SEM), Harvard University Extension
Giacomo Fabietti, Siena University, Italy
Samira Nefzi, Tunisian Observatory of Environmental and Sustainable Development

17.15:19.00 Session 4: The role of Students for Sustainable Development 
Presentation of SDSN Youth

19:30-20:30 Cocktail at the Rectorate
with the participation of 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, 2015

09:00-11:00 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

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]

This Conference edition will mainly focus on the following topics: 

- Efficiency Use of Resources in Agriculture;

- Transformative Changes in Technologies and Policies in Agri-food Culture;

- New Business Models for Agriculture


To know about the programme conference and to make your registration within February 15th, 2015, please visit the following weblink:http://www.sdsnmedconf.unisi.it/