During its annual symposium, on October 11, Future Food of University Utrecht will critically assess the EAT-Lancet report and investigate its relevance for research and policy-making on food systems. Is there a solid scientific basis for the EAT-Lancet recommendations? What does EAT-Lancet mean for our research agendas? What does it mean for food and agricultural policy making?
In January 2019 the EAT-Lancet report made the headlines by advocating a radical reconfiguration of food production, consumption and governance to make the food system sustainable and future-proof. Ever since, debates have ensued on the report’s diagnoses and recommendations- ranging from accusations of the report being too critical on the role of meat in our consumption pattern to concerns about the impacts of the report on farmer’s livelihoods and access to food.
Future Food will use its annual symposium to critically assess the report and investigate its relevance for research and policy-making on food systems. The symposium will kick off with a key note by one of the EAT Lancet reports authors, followed by three interactive break-out sessions that focus on sustainable production, healthy consumption and governance. In the final part of the program the findings and suggestions from these sessions will be discussed in a panel with UU-researchers, other experts and external stakeholders.
Questions to be tackled during the symposium:
- Is there a solid scientific basis for the EAT-Lancet recommendations?
- What does EAT-Lancet mean for our research agendas?
- How well does the Dutch government’s new policy vision on circular agriculture fit the report’s recommendations?
Provisional programme
9.30-10.30 Opening with two key-note speeches:
- Fabrice DeClerck, Scientific Director of EAT – forum: People, Planet, Health: The EAT Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Production Systems.
- Henk Westhoek, Head of Food, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: The EAT-Lancet study and the food system: implications for policy and research.
10.45-12.15 Interactive break-out sessions (Part 1)
Discussion/exploration of problems
- Break-out session 1: Sustainable food production
- Break-out session 2: Beyond the EAT Lancet healthy reference diet
- Break-out session 3: The Governance of Fair Food
12.15-13.30 Lunch Break
13.30-14.45 Interactive break-out sessions (Part 2)
See above
14.45-15.15 Break (and integration/selection of statements for plenary discussion)
15.15-16.30 Plenary discussion and debate with external moderator Dick Veerman, Foodlog.nl
16.30-17.30 Drinks
Interactive break-out sessions
The interactive break-out sessions seek to engage the Future Food Utrecht community in studying one of the three themes. We propose one or two pitches by experts about the session theme, which is then followed by a debate using the open-fishbowl technique in order to allow maximum participation by attendees.
More information
- This event has passed.