The Farm to Fork strategy, at the heart of the European Green Deal, aims to accelerate the transition to a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system. Currently, the agriculture and livestock sectors are responsible for almost one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and our food systems consume large amounts of natural resources – causing loss of biodiversity and negatively impacting health (under- and over-nutrition) – and do not allow for fair economic returns and livelihoods for all actors, especially primary producers.
The 4th International Conference “Multidisciplinary Studies for Sustainable Agriculture: The Farm to Fork Strategy” organised by the PhD students of the programme in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences was held on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd December 2022. This workshop founded by the University of Pisa and the Department of Food, Agriculture and Environment provided all the participants an insight into the farm to Fork strategy. This book of abstract is a collection of all the speeches made on during the workshop.
1st December: “Agricultural practices for sustainable food production”
The first day opened with an overview of the sustainable management of water resources, given the current drought emergency affecting Italy and Europe, and energy inputs. It continued with speeches focusing on the agricultural practices promoted by the European Union and financed by the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) through eco schemes and sustainable strategies for precision agriculture and livestock farming.
2nd December: “Sustainable innovation in the food chain”
The second day focused on innovative agri-food production techniques and proposals. The current food production system is based on activities with a pronounced environmental impact, such as intensive livestock farming, the considerable use of polluting synthetic products, excessive food packaging, and the transport of goods over long distances. It is estimated that the world’s population will reach 11 billion by 2100; therefore, the agri-food sector will have to ensure the food supply for an increasing number of individuals and will have to be based on more environmentally sustainable approaches.
