Online Edition - Specialized Course on Food Security at the time of COVID-19

Organization: UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute

Start date: 25 Oct 2021

End date: 29 Oct 2021

Registration deadline: 10 Oct 2021

Overview

“It is highly likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will result in increased hunger and poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (Food security under the COVID-19 pandemic Report, FAO).

“Today, more than 821 million people regularly go to bed hungry, of whom 100-plus million suffer from acute hunger, largely due to man-made conflicts, climate change and economic downturns. These are the people who will experience the unthinkable due to the economic or logistical consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the depth and breadth of hunger will increase worldwide.” (COVID-19: Potential impact on the world’s poorest people, World Food Programme)

“While agri-food sector jobs have been designated as essential in the context of the COVID-19 crisis in many countries, the measures adopted to slow down the pandemic may place further strain on the capacity of the sector to continue meeting demand, providing incomes and livelihoods, and ensuring safety and health for the millions of agricultural workers and producers.” (ILO Sectoral Brief, COVID-19 and the impact on agriculture and food security, International Labour Organization)

In parallel, “…The world’s population continues to grow, albeit at a slower pace than at any time since 1950, owing to reduced levels of fertility. From an estimated 7.7 billion people worldwide in 2019, the medium-variant projection indicates that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100.” (World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. New York: United Nations).

The unprecedented times the world is going through demand for an immediate and prompt reaction by States to mitigate the additional negative impacts the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the food security sector. While countering malnutrition and facilitating access to food, international and national institutions highlight the importance of controlling and monitoring the food supply chain. Substitution, adulteration, mislabelling, counterfeiting and misrepresentation of food products are growing exponentially and are seriously endangering the quality of what we eat. In many legislative frameworks they constitute criminal activities, all over the world they represent a public health and economic harm. Not to mention that food fraud generates illicit profits that allow criminals to expand their trades and their areas of influence.

Furthermore, armed conflicts, terrorism, the absence of the rule of law and the constant political instability are hindering the capacity of the population to produce food and meet nutritional requirements, expanding the cycle of hunger, poverty and violence generated by the need to access essential resources. Finally, phenomena related to climate change, such as floods, desertification and soil erosion, illegal exploitation of resources and environmental crimes are producing dramatic consequences on food production.

These scenarios, exacerbated by the current pandemic, compel the global community to re-shape the entire food supply chain, from production to consumption. Aiming to reach the second SDG “Zero Hunger” within 2030, States and international organisations need to find a balance between economic development, environmental protection and food security.

With these considerations in mind, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in cooperation with John Cabot University (JCU), is organizing the third edition of the Specialized Course on Food and Nutrition Security at the time of COVID-19, which will be delivered online, from 25 to 29 October 2021.

The Specialized Course will provide participants with a fundamental understanding of main determinants and issues connected to food security, among which:

Towards the multidimensional definition of food security
The UN strategy for Goal 2 “Zero Hunger” (SDGs) and challenges of Covid-19
Legal tools on right to food, food safety and security
Mitigating risks to food systems during COVID-19: Reducing food loss and waste
Pandemic outbreaks and impact on food safety and security
Climate Change: Impacts on Agriculture, Crop Production, Resilience at the time of COVID-19
COVID-19, conflicts, migration and food insecurity
Food fraud and food counterfeiting

The Specialized Course offers professional, legal, social, scientific and academic perspectives through live webinars, group discussions, dynamic case studies, individual readings, and practical exercises. The faculty is composed of leading scholars and academics from JCU and other universities, as well as international legal experts from the United Nations system, international and non-governmental organizations, and civil society.

Through a dedicated online platform, participants will have the opportunity to interact with internationally recognized experts and peers from all over the world, so to build lasting professional relationships. This experience fosters intercultural dialogue and promotes a deeper understanding of the most salient issues faced by the international community related to food and nutrition security.

Course Methodology

This course is delivered online. It combines live webinars in our virtual classroom, led by subject matter experts, with self-paced activities and interactive group discussions.

The live webinars are conducted on a dedicated online platform. Participants need a computer (recommended) or a mobile device with audio and video capabilities, a headset with microphone to connect to the audio through the computer or mobile device, as well as a reliable internet connection. We recommend accessing audio through the computer. No special software is required. Upon acceptance to the course, participants will be provided with the information to access the platform.

The live webinars are from 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm Rome-time (8:30am - 12:00pm New York-time), from Monday to Friday. Kindly note that recorded webinars will be available upon request.

Entry requirements

The course is designed for university graduates in Law, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Social Science and other relevant disciplines. It is also addressed to young professionals working in governmental institutions, local authorities, international and non-governmental organizations seeking to deepen their understanding of current food security issues.

Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:

Hold a three-year university degree issued by an internationally recognized university in one of the aforementioned areas;
Have a very good working knowledge of English.

Applications from students who expect to graduate at the end of the 2020/21 academic year will also be considered.

Certificate of participation

Upon attendance of all live webinars and completion of the course activities and assignments, participants will receive a United Nations and John Cabot University certificate of participation.

How to register:

How to apply

Application deadline: please complete and send the application form, which can be downloaded here, to unicri.courses@un.org by 10 October 2021.
Confirmation of acceptance: the results of the selection process will be communicated via e-mail, within 5 working days following receipt of the application, and no later than by 11 October 2021.
Payment deadline: full payment has to be finalized within 1 week following confirmation of acceptance, and no later than 13 October 2021 (i.e. candidates should provide UNICRI with proof of payment via E-mail to unicri.courses@un.org).