Use innovative nuclear techniques to improve agricultural productivity, reduce food losses, ensure food security, improve nutrition and adapt to the challenges of climate change. It is with this purpose that Atoms4Food was born, the joint initiative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the FAO, presented during the WorldFood Forum 2023 hosted by the FAO. "Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise, posing a threat to humanity," said the Directors-General of the two UN agencies, QU Dongyu and Rafael Mariano Grossi, explaining that this initiative aims to "provide States with innovative solutions tailored to their specific needs and circumstances, exploiting the advantages of nuclear techniques together with other advanced technologies." By exploiting their respective comparative advantages, relevant strategies and research portfolios, the Joint FAO-IAEA Centre for Nuclear Techniques for Food and Agriculture is already working to optimise dedicated laboratories focusing on food and agriculture, human nutrition, food security and water management. Innovation and collaboration. The two agencies have been working together since 1964 and their partnership stands out as one of the most effective, offering services such as sterile insect technology and isotope analysis to assess nutrient and water use in soils. There are seven services for the benefit of states, capacity building, crop varieties, soil and water management, animal health, pest control, food security, public health and nutrition. Other innovative ideas emerged during the World Food Forum session, including an effort to identify underutilised crops in Africa and turn them into opportunities, and the use of gene drives to eradicate unwanted insects.
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