ANSTO has recently participated in a regional program in Bangkok, Thailand, on food safety, security, and productivity using ANSTO science and technology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island countries.
The event was organised by CRDF Global in partnership with the International Joint Research Centre on Food Security (IJC-FOODSEC) as part of the Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful Uses initiative (SDPU).
ANSTO's Dr Debashish Mazumder delivered a keynote address on Nuclear Technology for Food Provenance and Sustainable Agriculture in the workshop and participated in a panel discussion.
Prof Jesmond Sammut, Deputy Dean for External Engagement, leads the UNSW Aquaculture Research Group and is the Deputy Director (International) of the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, ANSTO's partner in food security research in the Asia and Pacific region also participated in the panel discussion about economics and key conditions for food security.
One hundred and fifty delegates from 21 countries including representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), U.S. Department of State, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN), World Food Program (WFP), USAID, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) participated in the program.
"Food security and food safety are major issues world wide. Nuclear techniques are powerful in mitigating the challenges associated with food security," said Dr Mazumder.
"We have had successes with our approach and think it is important to share this expertise with our region to help achieve UN SDG goals such as Zero Hunger and Good health and wellbeing."
Three major themes emerged from the discussion: food authenticity, aquaculture and the development of better water absorbent materials for agriculture.
