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Emerging Risks Related to the Environment and New Technologies

Prepared by the FAO/WHO Secretariat










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    Focus: a limited number of agreed outcomes/objectives relevant to regional, national, and local policy-making that can be reported on at the Annual Forum via a set of 3 country case studies on Climate Smart Agriculture.
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    Report of the forty-fifth session of GESAMP
    Rome, Italy, 17-20 September 2018
    2019
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    GESAMP held its 45th Session during 17-20 September 2018, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. GESAMP was established in 1969 by a number of United Nations’ Organizations as a Joint Group to encourage the independent, interdisciplinary consideration of marine pollution and environmental protection matters in order to avoid duplication of efforts within the United Nations system. The Group discussed: Evaluation of the hazards of harmful substances carried by ships; Active substances to be used in ballast water management systems; Atmospheric input of chemicals to the ocean; Trends in global pollution in coastal environments; Sources, fate and effects of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment; Marine geoengineering; Impacts of wastes and other matter in the marine environment from mining operations, including marine mineral mining; Sea based sources of marine litter including fishing gear and other shipping related litter; Harmful algal blooms and food security and safety in the context of climate change; The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
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    Article
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    Recent and emerging food packaging alternatives: Chemical safety risks, current regulations, and analytical challenges 2024
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    Food contact materials should not release their constituent substances into food at levels harmful to human health nor change the food composition, taste, or odor unacceptably. The historical evolution of food packaging shows that the use of plastics has increased dramatically, because of its convenience, lightweight, and cost effectiveness, but carries a significant environmental impact. Influenced by trends such as growing awareness of the environmental footprint and stricter safety requirements, conventional packaging is now progressively evolving toward new alternatives. All stakeholders in the agrifood system are involved in the journey to transform food packaging to more sustainable alternatives, while maintaining the important functionalities of suitable food packaging. The current most promising food packaging alternatives are presented in this review with their benefits, limitations, and associated potential safety hazards, with a focus on chemical hazards. Although some potential hazards are common to conventional packaging, others are specific to the new alternatives. Identification of potential chemical hazards associated with these new packaging alternatives is important to anticipate any risks posed to consumer safety.With much diversity in packaging types and rules aimed at ensuring safety drastically varying between jurisdictions, it is not always easy to determine the best way to assess the safety of food packaging. International guidance on principles for safe food packaging could help drive global harmonization and would play a crucial role in ensuring a consistent and science-based framework for the safety and compliance of new and emerging food packaging.

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    • What is biodiversity for food and agriculture?
    • Why is biodiversity for food and agriculture important?
    • What are the trends in biodiversity for food and agriculture?
    • What are the threats to biodiversity for food and agriculture?
    • Is management of biodiversity for food and agriculture getting better?
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    • Why is international cooperation important and what is the role of the Commission?
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    Booklet
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    FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 2022
    The FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 was endorsed by FAO Council in June 2022. This new strategy replaces the previous strategy from 2017 to better FAO's climate action with the Strategic Framework 2022-2031, and other FAO strategies that have been developed since then. The Strategy was elaborated following an inclusive process of consultation with FAO Members, FAO staff from headquarters and decentralized offices, as well as external partners. It articulates FAO's vision for agrifood systems by 2050, around three main pillars of action: at global and regional level, at country level, and at local level. The Strategy also encourages key guiding principles for action, such as science and innovation, inclusiveness, partnerships, and access to finance.