Abebe Ayalew Mekonnen 10:42 AM How do you reconcile sustainability with profitability for businesses. Today many companies are not responsible for the environment? what mechanisms are applied for Irish companies? Answer: Dr Noreen Byrne As Elise indicated it now makes business sense to be more sustainable and not less. She outlined the metrics used by BlackRock Investment. Sustainability can no longer be in the space of PR but must be integrated into the core of the business. As Oliver indicated the New Green Deal policy framework will also drive and shape business response. Hence, there is a range of metrics utilized and policy imperatives coming downstream. so once there is a critical mass of companies who are now integrating sustainability in the first instance, they will not bear the extra costs of compliance. Also you only get the marketing and distribution benefits of being in for eg Origin Green if you make marked progress over time.
Colm Stockdale 11:15 AM How do you think the masters programme will be affected by covid, and will some methods of learning be changed from previous years? Answer: Dr Noreen Byrne The University is still in discussion in relation to how teaching will be delivered for Semester One. While it is likely there will be some online element, there will still also be face to face. I can get in touch with you again, when this is more clearly outlined.
Caroline Seacy 11:21 AM Can you make the notes available please. Answer: Dr Noreen Byrne Yes, please get in touch with me n.byrne@ucc.ie and I can organise this.
Nqubenhle Mnqobi 11:21 AM Thanks for the presentations, just a bit of a concern how are the opportunities for non-Irish students Answer: Dr Noreen Byrne Some of our current students from this year are non-Irish and they have secured very good placements. As Oliver was saying in the presentation, it makes sense to draw on your own background, and the MSc, to make a pitch to companies in terms of research. This has worked well for our current non-EU students. We can help you with this.
Q. Shaunagh Moodie 12:02 PM How much progress has been made on the use of virtual reality in terms of digital marketing? A. (Ronan O'Farrell) I personally have not come across the use of VR in digital marketing by food companies yet (that is not to say it is not being used). I'm sure it is only a matter of time before this is introduced. What is more commonly used currently would be technologies such as video for virtual tours and so on. An interesting thought though, and might have lots of applications in engaging food experiences with consumers in the future.
Q. 11:52 AM Hello everyone! my Name is Fidele Ntwali and I am a prospective student in MSc Food security Policy and Management. I would like to express my gratitude for this fantastic presentation. A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) Thanks Fidele, you are welcome.
Q. Rosine Ndayishimiye 12:13 PM This is Rosine from Rwanda. With conference tourism (hosting the Commonwealth) canceled, local food producers and farmers are suffering. Are there any ideas on how to build resilience for such blows? I am a farmer in Rwanda and definitely travel access to farms has been surely challenging and serious delays in planting and support technology has been challenging, but pushing for innovation. A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) It's difficult to completely protect against this kind of shock in the short term. Social protection to maintain incomes and livelihoods is needed, and perhaps farmers can switch to producing for other more local markets. Government interventions to buy stocks can be another short-term response. It's really important to use innovative approaches, with support from Government and NGOs, to protect the next cropping season, otherwise food security impacts in future will be greater.
Q. Sheila 12:03 PM What's the biggest threat to future food security? What are some of the emerging issues in Food Security to protect consumer's health and fair practices in food trade? A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) The biggest short-term threat is dislocations in production and restrictions on trade: both are quite likely but need to be minimised. There is a real short-term and long-term need to prioritise the contribution of agricultural to nutrition rather than just as commodity production to maximise incomes and produce cheap food. This is where food system transformation is needed. Paying fair prices to farmers is part of that which is where fair trade can contribute.
Q. Fionnuala O'Connell 12:02 PM Just wondering how you think the aid budget will be affected by covid-19(if at all), as many countries are struggling for funding for their responses in- country? A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) It's realistic to think that some aid budgets may be cut. In other cases resources will be shifted to addressing covid-19 from other priorities. But there is major global awareness of the potential huge impacts in developing countries and the response from donors, including UN, World Bank and IMF has been quite rapid, so impacts on aid budgets overall may not be too great, at least in the short term.
Q. Sheila 12:00 PM My name is Sheila from Kenya. I'd like to ask what your thoughts are on what effects global recession would have on food security especially in developing countries. Could the world change priorities? A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) There is a clear danger that recession will have a negative impact on demand for produce from developing countries which will affect incomes and livelihoods and increase food insecurity. But there is a great awareness of this at the level of international agencies (U.N., World Bank) so there are initiatives to minimise negative impacts on livelihoods. In the short term it's possible that farmers will increase sales locally which may mitigate some of the negative impacts.
Q. Esther Adaji 11:59 AM What can developing countries do to reduce the spoilage of farm produce, during the lockdown A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) This is a difficult issue generally, made worse by the lockdown. Some local innovations are happening where farmers' groups/co-operatives are marketing produce, reducing the number of people involved in the marketing process so reducing infection risk. But incomes of consumers also need to be maintained, otherwise demand for this produce will reduce. This can be done through social protection systems. It could be possible to include consumption of nutritious food (e.g. fruit and veg) in food-based social protection programmes, but that needs good involvement of Agricultural Ministries and NGOs. In addition, better storage and simple processing need to be ramped up.
Q. VICTOR IWUOHA 11:37 AM 1)For future purposes, what would be the recommendation for smallholder farmers in developing countries like Nigeria, who depend on selling to the public markets and urban population coupled with a resort by urban populace to processed/ semi-processed foods by bigger players which are available on online platforms? A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) Smallholder farmers need more support from agricultural and food security policies to continue to produce to sell to urban and other markets; but there's also a need to promote healthy diets amongst the urban population so that they demand more diverse foods. There is also a need for food policies which discourage consumption of "junk food" since this is contributing to the growing obesity crisis, even in some developing countries.
Q. Shaunagh Moodie 11:36 AM Given that Africa is a net importer in terms of its food consumption levels, what would the challenges be for the continent/African countries to develop regional food systems? A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) In the short term it's important to maintain world trade and try to avoid countries imposing export restrictions. In the longer term the African Union is promoting an African free trade area, which deserves support. There is a strong case for encouraging regional trade between African countries which should encourage more diverse and sustainable agricultural systems. Most African countries need to invest more in agriculture and support smallholder production, and need to move beyond just achieving self-sufficiency in basic grains, to consider agriculture as a source of good nutrition.
Q. Nothing to Say 11:35 AM Thanks for this wonderful webinar where great thoughts are being shared, any thought on impact of COVID on humanitarian food aid system particularly in developing countries? A. (Dr Nick Chisholm) There may be a need to expand humanitarian food aid, but better to do this in the context of well-organised social protection programmes if possible. If food markets are still functioning and farmers have produce to sell, cash payments can be as effective as food so people can buy in local markets and in that way maintain prices for local farmers. But there may be situations -e.g. in conflict-affected countries, refugee camps - where this is less possible and where more conventional food distribution is needed. This is a challenge with covid-19 but humanitarian agencies have experience e.g. from ebola on how to manage such situations.
