FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO)

Angioni C, Haensel M, Wolf J. Catalysing climate solutions. An introduction to FAO’s work on climate change adaptation in agrifood systems. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2023; 85 p. ISBN 978-92-5-138462-6. Recognizing the important role adaptation to climate change plays for agrifood systems, the paper presents and reflects on FAO’s repertoire of different adaptation actions and solutions. Complementing the conclusion of the Global Stocktake at COP28, it comprehensively summarizes FAO’s efforts to boost progress in global adaptation actions. The paper emphasizes the importance of bringing agrifood systems into the global adaptation agenda and policy landscape, creates a cross-sectoral portfolio of FAO adaptation solutions covering multiple scales and approaches, and gives an insight into FAO’s work with partners and Members and presents relevant networks and collaborations. Laying out FAO’s guiding principles according to the FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031, it underscores FAO’s efforts for transformative action in agrifood systems and demonstrates FAO’s people-centred approach to climate change adaptation.

Prevention and control of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables – Parts 1 & 2: General principles. Meeting report. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization 2023 (FAO Microbiological Risk Assessment Series, No. 42); 154 p. ISBN (FAO) 978-92-5-138340-7 ISBN (WHO) 978-92-4-008209-0 (print version) ISBN (WHO) 978-92-4-008208-3 (electronic version). In response to requests of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene concerning microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables and to update and expand the information available in Microbiological hazards in fresh leafy vegetables and herbs (MRA14), which was published in 2008, FAO and WHO convened a series of expert meetings in 2021 to 2022. The purpose of the meetings was to collect, review and discuss relevant measures to control microbiological hazards from primary production to point of sale in fresh, ready-to-eat (RTE) and minimally processed fruits and vegetables, including leafy vegetables. The experts made an effort to update and include any recent trends in commodity and pathogen pairing or pathogen occurrence and presence with a focus on emerging and neglected pathogens. The primary production in open fields was investigated by considering the location, adjacent land use, topography, and climate; prior land use; water; wildlife, animal and human intrusion; soil amendments; and harvest and packing. The experts also worked on: primary production in protected facilities; minimal processing; transport, distribution, and point of sale; and also the gaps in mitigation and interventions measures. The advice herein is useful for both risk assessors and risk managers, at national and international levels and those in the food industry working to control the relevant hazards in the fresh fruits and vegetables. the development of improved mitigation and intervention measures.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE COUNCIL (ISC)

Preparing National Research Ecosystems for AI: strategies and progress in 2024. Paris: International Science Council 2024; 76 p. The aim of this paper is to increase the knowledge of current initiatives toward the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in national research ecosystems, of what has been achieved so far, and the possible roadblocks. To these ends, this paper provides a literature study of over 300 publications on the integration of AI in national research ecosystems and twelve country case studies. In detail, this working paper seeks to gather the basic knowledge and information about the issues, and the current efforts to prepare science and research systems for AI, help countries as they develop roadmaps for the uptake of AI in their science systems; create regional and global networks of people involved in the reflections on adaptation and implementation of AI for science, and raise awareness and help shape a critical discussion among the scientific and policy communities of the critical issues that AI raises for the organization of science and research. By the end of 2024, a second, more comprehensive edition of this paper, incorporating additional case studies, and putting forward recommendations for more coordinated and collaborative science policies for AI will be released.

A framework for evaluating rapidly developing digital and related technologies: AI, Large Language Models and beyond. Paris: International Science Council 2023; 12 p. This discussion paper on evaluating rapidly developing digital and related technologies establish a process to produce and maintain an annotated framework/checklist of the risks, benefits, threats and opportunities associated with rapidly moving digital technologies, including – but not limited to – AI. The purpose of this checklist would be to inform all stakeholders – including governments, trade negotiators, regulators, civil society and industry – of potential future scenarios, and would frame how they might consider the opportunities, benefits, risks and other issues.

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)

Global Resources Outlook 2024: Bend the Trend – Pathways to a liveable planet as resource use spikes. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme 2024; 181 p. ISBN: 978-92-807-4128-5. The scientific community has never been more aligned or more resolute on the need for urgent global transformation towards the sustainable use of resources. This 2024 edition of the Global Resources Outlook sheds light on how resources are essential to the effective implementation of the Agenda 2030 and multilateral environmental agreements to tackle the triple planetary crisis. The report, built on more than 15 years of work by the International Resource Panel - including scientific assessments and inputs from countries, a vast network of stakeholders in the field and regional experts - brings together the best available data, modelling and assessments to analyse trends, impacts and distributional effects of resource use. The report shows how demand for resources is expected to continue increasing in the coming decades and outlines five critical actions at all levels of governance that are essential to enable transitions to resource-efficient and sustainable consumption and production.

Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an age of waste – Turning rubbish into a resource. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme 2024; 116 p. ISBN: 978-92-807-4129-2. Jointly published with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), this report provides an updated assessment of global waste management and an analysis of data concerning municipal solid waste management worldwide. The analysis uses life cycle assessments to explore what the world could gain or lose through continuing business-as-usual, adopting halfway measures, or committing fully to zero waste and circular economy societies. The report also evaluates three potential scenarios of municipal waste generation and management, examining their impacts on society, the environment, and the global economy. Furthermore, it presents potential strategies for waste reduction and enhanced management, following the waste hierarchy, to treat all waste materials as valuable resources.

EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY (EFSA)

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), Carrasco Cabrera L, Di Piazza G, Dujardin B, Marchese E, Medina Pastor P. The 2022 European Union report on pesticide residues in food. EFSA Journal 2024, 22(4): e8753. The 2022 EU report on pesticide residues in food provides an overview of the official control activities on pesticide residues carried out in the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. The analysis of the results from all reporting countries is presented in a data visualisation format to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive, easily digestible analysis of the European situation related to the findings. The conclusions and recommendations derived from the results remain within this report, giving risk managers a tool for designing future monitoring programmes and taking appropriate decisions on which pesticides and food products should be targeted. The report also includes the outcome of the deterministic risk assessment, both acute and chronic to single substances and the consolidation of the methodology introduced last year on probabilistic exposure assessment to single substances, where probabilities of exceedance of the health-based guidance values (HBGV) of pesticides have been calculated in different subpopulation of European consumers for the 193 pesticides (corresponding to 199 active substances) listed in the EU MACP Regulation. The purpose of these calculations is to provide readers with a deeper insight into the risks of dietary exposure to pesticides and to evidence the differences between the two methodologies (i.e. deterministic and probabilistic).

EFSA and ECDC (European Food Safety Authority and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control), Melidou A, Enkirch T, Willgert K, Adlhoch C, Alm E, Lamb F, Marangon S, Monne I, Stegeman JA, Delacourt R, Baldinelli F, Broglia A. Drivers for a pandemic due to avian influenza and options for One Health mitigation measures. EFSA Journal 2024, 22(4): e8735. This document considers the pandemic potential of currently circulating A(H5N1) viruses in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and at the global level. It is intended as a reference for public health authorities in animal and human sectors dealing with surveillance, preparedness and response to zoonotic influenza infections. This document focuses on potential events such as reassortment, mutation and adaptation of the Avian influenza viruses (AIV) to mammals including humans. The drivers contributing to viral evolution and adaptation of currently circulating A(H5N1) viruses to mammals including humans are described and discussed. This includes the implications of the co-circulation of human influenza viruses alongside the current AI A(H5N1) strains in mammals. This document also addresses which One Health mitigation measures could be implemented in animals and humans to reduce the risk to human health.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2024. Geneva: World Health Organization 2024; 86 p. ISBN 978-92-4-009153-5 (electronic version) ISBN 978-92-4-009154-2 (print version). This document is the second in a series of global reports describing progress towards the 2030 targets set in “Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030”. It describes a wide range of activities, accomplishments and challenges across the portfolio of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and across all six WHO regions. The report presents epidemiological and programmatic data for 2022, which were gathered, compiled and analysed in 2023. In some cases, 2023 data are available and presented; in other cases, less recent information is included, when 2022 data are not available. In addition, it presents the main facts or events that occurred in 2023.

Global hepatitis report 2024: action for access in low- and middle-income countries. Geneva: World Health Organization 2024; 242 p. ISBN 978-92-4-009167-2 (electronic version) ISBN 978-92-4-009168-9 (print version). This is the first consolidated WHO report on viral hepatitis epidemiology, service coverage and product access, with improved data for action. Building on previous WHO reports published in 2016, 2018 and 2020, this report presents the latest estimates on the disease burden and the coverage of essential viral hepatitis services from 187 countries across the world – versus estimates from 130 countries in 2019 and 42 countries in 2018. The report also updates progress made since 2019 in improving access to health products for both hepatitis B and C in low- and middle-income countries, with information from 38 countries that together comprise nearly 80% of global viral hepatitis infections and deaths – versus information on health products for hepatitis C in 12 countries in the 2020 report. The report provides a regional perspective, analysing the barriers and opportunities for countries in each of the six WHO regions to expand access to health products for viral hepatitis. It presents actions for countries and stakeholders to accelerate the scaling up of effective viral hepatitis interventions within a public health approach, necessary to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

Future surveillance for epidemic and pandemic diseases: a 2023 perspective. Geneva: World Health Organization 2024; 116 p ISBN 978-92-4-008095-9 (electronic version) ISBN 978-92-4-008096-6 (print version). Future surveillance for epidemic and pandemic diseases describes the global context and the result of horizon scanning of infectious diseases with pandemic and epidemic potential, including newly emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, with a focus on surveillance. It aims to describe the key considerations, opportunities and innovations that shape a vision of how surveillance will function in the future. This report reflects the input and advice of leading experts with different skills, worldviews and experiences who share a commitment to better prepare for future infectious hazards.