The Sustainability of Food Production - Mission Impossible?

28th January 2025 – How to improve the future

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the conference entitled “The Sustainability of Food Production. Mission Impossible?” was held at Palazzo Invernizzi Conference Centre. The event was organized in collaboration with Prof. Paolo Ajmone Marsan, director of the AGRISYSTEM Agribusiness System Doctoral School, and the Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi Research Centre for Sustainable Dairy Production - CREI of the Catholic University.

The conference featured several expert in the field: Prof. Giuseppe Bertoni, President of Fondazione Invernizzi; Prof. Paolo Ajmone Marsan, from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, who moderated the discussion; Dr. Maurizio Martina, Deputy Director-General of FAO; Dr. Maria Antonietta Palumbo and Dr. Simone Morabito, PhD candidates at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Dr. Andrea Rosati, Secretary General of EAAP - European Federation of Animal Science and Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to FAO-IFAD-WFP.

The idea for this conference stemmed from a recent in-depth discussion among a group of PhD candidates from the AGRISYSTEM PhD School at Università Cattolica in Piacenza, where they debated on “Feeding the Next Generations: An Interdisciplinary Challenge for Sustainable Solutions”. The topic is particularly relevant, given that global food demand is expected to a 30-40% increase by 2050. Even today, the agri-food system - especially intensive farming - is considered one of the main causes of environmental degradation. For obvious reasons, these issues are of great interest to younger generations: it is crucial to understand their perspectives in a context where media coverage (web, media, newspapers) does not always present a balanced view of on the relationship between food production and environmental preservation. It is also important to compare these perspectives with those of institutional bodies (such as FAO), scientific research, and even the Catholic Church.

In his opening remarks, the President of Fondazione Invernizzi, Bertoni posed a key question that the speakers sought to answer: “Is the risk for humanity posed by technological and scientific progress (i.e. intensive systems)? Or by the enormous needs driven by population growth and increasing demands?”.

An interesting comment came from Maurizio Martina, speaking remotely from Brussels, who emphasized the importance of interdisciplinarity and data sharing to prevent, monitor, and control the spread of diseases, as well as to address climate change and food accessibility. The food security is a sensitive geopolitical issue, requiring international mechanisms since these challenges transcend national borders.

The importance of interdisciplinarity was also highlighted by PhD candidates from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza and Cremona. Drawing from their team-building experience in Val Rendena (Trentino - Italy), they explained that working on agri-food issues requires collaboration with disciplines such as psychology, economics, and engineering. They also emphasized the necessity of placing well-trained experts in leadership positions within the sector. “Collaboration between different disciplines fosters innovation and the search for effective solutions,” they stated, “and creating a network of researchers is crucial to tackling the issue from multiple perspectives.”

“Young people must be the main character of change,” declared Monsignor Chica Arellano, underlining that “a shift in mindset is expressly hoped-for.” He echoed Pope Francis' concept of integral ecology, reminding attendees that achieving “Zero Hunger” largely depends on the political will of those responsible for ensuring food distribution.

A key intervention came from Andrea Rosati, Secretary General of EAAP, who outlined feasible and unfeasible solutions to answer the question posed by the conference: “Is sustainable food production possible?”. Rosati identified two viable approaches: reducing food waste and investing in technological progress. However, he emphasized that technological progress alone is insufficient without public engagement, education, and political support. It is also crucial to balance environmental protection with economic profitability and to make responsible investments in the sector.

Paolo Ajmone Marsan concluded and summarized the conference by underlining that solving environmental problems requires global collaboration: the climate change, as well as pandemics, knows no borders. Agriculture is heavily influenced by climate conditions and must not only mitigate changes but also adapt to them to ensure efficiency and sustainability. Sustainable intensification will become necessary to feed 10 billion people, and the appropriate use of new technologies and artificial intelligence will be crucial. However, this must be guided by responsibility and strategic vision. Technology transfer to developing countries will also be essential to produce more with fewer resources. The required changes must be supported by appropriate agricultural policies that also consider social impacts. The “Mission” is ambitious, but in this “year of hope,” we cannot deem it “Impossible.” It is essential to trust and empower young people, encouraging them to develop their talents and build international and interdisciplinary networks.