FAO and Luiss Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli forge a new partnership to advance food and nutrition security, sustainability, inclusiveness, and resilience of agri-food systems
Rome Italy
Building on a common vision for a sustainable and prosperous world, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Luiss Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (Luiss) have embarked on a new partnership through the signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance food and nutrition security, sustainability, inclusiveness, and resilience of agrifood systems as laid out in FAO’s Strategic Framework for a better world where no one is left behind.
The new partnership builds from FAO’s and Luiss’ history of cooperation to increase institutional and human capacities of new and mid-level food security professionals. Since 2018, FAO has collaborated the Luiss School of Law on its Master in Food Law (LLM) programme by providing guest lectures of FAO experts and supplementing the LLM curricula with FAO e-learning courses, as well as combining practical work experiences with new perspectives, innovative ideas and latest research through the successful implementation of an internship programme.
In entering into the MoU, FAO and Luiss now have a framework for broadening cooperation to develop capacities of future food security professionals on a number of technical themes, including CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, sustainable value chain development, food loss and waste prevention, gender equality. Further, FAO and Luiss will collaborate on executive courses for public officers, focusing on Africa, to bring sustainable agri-food systems into geopolitical contexts and also undertake research to analyse statistics and social media impacts on themes such as emergencies, sustainability and trade.
The MoU, signed by Assistant Director-General Maurizio Martina on behalf of FAO, and by Vice President Paola Severino, Rector Andrea Prencipe and General Manager Giovanni Lo Storto on behalf of Luiss, recognize the importance of this collaboration.
As Mr. Martina explained, “This strategic partnership will facilitate joint innovative solutions to establish equal access to educational opportunities for the world’s next generation of food security professionals. Together, FAO and Luiss will continue to combine and leverage our respective expertise to generate positive impacts to advance agrifood systems, and support FAO’s work for a world free of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.”
Prof. Severino states “We feel very privileged to have the possibility to sign such an advanced partnership agreement with FAO. Luiss is an international university based in Rome, FAO is a global institution based in Rome. We both develop international projects of high quality. I am confident that the synergy between our two different competences will generate a significant impact in many countries around the world, with a special focus on Africa.”
Prof. Prencipe adds “The FAO-Luiss Partnership will develop a number of training and research projects on the most pressing challenges of our time: from hunger to sustainability. Through executive courses, policy analyses, and Model FAO youth programmes, we are going to spread new knowledge and raise a better awareness for an ever more SDG-compliant world.”
Dr. Lo Storto further comments that “We are very proud to have established this new partnership with FAO that confirms our solid cooperation to form new professional figures on the great issues involving the future of the planet. In the most recent years, Luiss has deeply focused on the Mediterranean regions and African countries with pragmatic projects aimed at offering new chances for the young people living there. This MoU is a further confirmation of our commitment.”
Today's agreement is part of FAO’s commitment to work closely with universities, civil society, non-governmental organizations, cooperatives and the private sector to achieve the mandate and objectives of FAO and the Sustainable Development Goals.
