From June 19 to 21, 2024, the Symposium on Sustainable Food Systems and Planetary Health, jointly hosted by the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IUE, CAS) and the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (RCEES, CAS), was successfully held in Beijing. Top scientists in the fields of food systems and environmental health from the United States, Australia, Switzerland and China attended the symposium to jointly promote the sustainable development of the food systems and enhance human well-being and planet health.

The symposium was presided over by Professor Yi Yang of Chongqing University.

Professor Yong-Guan Zhu, a CAS academician and director of RCEES, CAS, and Science Director of IUE, CAS, delivered an opening speech and gave a keynote presentation titled "Food System in Planetary Health". Prof. Zhu emphasized that the food system is not only closely bound up with human survival and health, but also plays a vital role in the health and prosperity of the planet.

Professor David Tilman of the University of Minnesota, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Academy of Sciences, shared ways of transforming the global food system to minimize the agriculture's impact on the environment.

Professor Stephen Polasky, also from the University of Minnesota and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, emphasized the role of metrics for ecosystem services and natural capital, such as Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP), in promoting sustainable development from food and energy perspectives.

Professor Junguo Liu, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and president of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, provided an analysis of water-food-energy-carbon nexus and discussed current research challenges.

Professor Gang Liu of Peking university, Professor Hua Zheng of RCEES, CAS, Professor Long Li of China Agricultural University, Professor Baojing Gu of Zhejiang University, Associate Professor Patrick O'Connor of the University of Adelaide, Assistant Professor Thomas Van Boeckel of ETH Zurich, Professor Yujie Liu of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Dr. Xinyi Geng of IUE, CAS, also delivered reports on relevant topics.

During the following-up thematic session, Prof. David Tilman engaged in extensive and in-depth discussions on the major knowledge gaps and challenges in the field of food systems and planetary health with the participants. They proposed co-writing prospective commentaries or articles to provide practical advice on shifting global food system.

The symposium effectively promoted academic exchanges and cooperation among international scientists in the food system and environmental health fields, especially those from the United States and China. It holds significant importance in exploring the connection between food systems and planetary health, advancing the sustainable development of food systems, as well as promoting planetary health and its sustainable development.

Source: Official website the IUE, CAS