This international technical webinar is part of the series organized by the FAO elearning Academy, Agreenium (French training and research alliance for agriculture, food, environment and global health), UN-ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), and Future Food Institute. These webinars are an opportunity for all of us to share experiences and lessons learnt, discuss challenges, and propose innovative solutions and models. They aim to provide a holistic and comprehensive view of current trends in thematic areas related to global challenges, by combining development research and innovation perspectives.
The main objective of these technical webinars is to give practitioners the opportunity to interact with international experts, United Nations officers, University professors, researchers and fellow participants, throughout the world. Webinars can be attended as interactive online sessions on Zoom, where sharing perspectives and asking questions to experts is encouraged. These sessions are also recorded and therefore available at any time, through the FAO elearning Academy: elearning.fao.org.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS SESSION
Cristina Petracchi heads the FAO elearning Academy. She manages and coordinates the design, development, delivery and language adaptations of an extensive portfolio e-learning courses and blended learning programmes for the benefit of FAO member countries, and is responsable for the creation of University Masters’ and Post Graduate Degree Programmes. She engages actively in consolidating partnerships across United Nations agencies, academic institutions and universities, regional organizations, CSOs and NGOs, for capacity development initiatives. In addition to a University Degree in Biological Sciences, Ms Petracchi holds a PhD in Nutrition and Food Science, and has several years of experience of capacity development activities, in a number of countries.
Dia Sanou is a Nutrition Officer in the FAO sub-regional office for Eastern Africa and Representation to African Union based in Ethiopia. He has more than 20 years of experience in global nutrition in academia, government and international organizations in Canada, USA, Africa and the Caribbean. Prior to joining FAO, he served as Regional Nutrition Leader, West Africa for Cornell University, and Assistant Professor in Nutrition and International Health at the University of Ottawa. Dia Sanou holds a PhD in Nutrition, a graduate Certificate in Information Technology and Nutrition, and MSc. and BSc. In food sciences.
Lesley Macheka is the Director for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer at Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Zimbabwe. Dr Macheka did his PhD studies at Wageningen University, and is the current Chairperson of the Scaling Up Nutrition Research and Academia Platform in Zimbabwe (SUNRAP). He is involved in multi-disciplinary research and some of his currently research projects are on: contribution of non-timber forest food products on food and nutrition security, impact of climate adaptation strategies on nutrition outcomes, and influence of multisectoral community-based approach on food and nutrition security.
Tonde Matsungo is a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Zimbabwe, where he teaches modules on Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Systems. Dr Matsungo is the current President of the Zimbabwe Nutrition Association (ZimNA) and the Southern Africa Representative for the African Nutrition Association (ANS). Tonde holds a PhD in Nutrition from the Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN) at the NorthWest University in South Africa, a Master of Philosophy in Human Physiology and a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Zimbabwe.
Aurélie Zunino coordinates the ANCA CHAIR since 2018, a project of AgroParisTech (Paris Institute of technology for life, food and environmental sciences). She manages and develops educational programmes to raise awareness about food sustainably and to improve food behaviors. She is specialized in the implementation of innovative and digital programmes such as games, videos, comic book, social media campaign to disseminate knowledge to wide audiences. Her work aims at engaging with people through entertaining and science-based content, to clarify misperceptions or daily questions about sustainable diets. She evolutes in a multi-stakeholder’s environment from food behavior’s researchers to operators. Aurelie holds a Master in Nutrition.