“What’s on your Plate?”: Planetary Health and Healthy Diets

The event is part of the Dispute series and is organised in collaboration with Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Organisations in Rome and ETH Zurich World Food System Center.

The conference will be held in English and in person. Fabio Ciconte’s keynote will also be accessible online, with the link provided in the programme.

REGISTER HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON

Limited availability for the Tasting Session.
Please reserve a spot by writing to: rsvp@istitutosvizzero.it

What we eat is never just a matter of personal preference. It is political, cultural, economic, and increasingly, technological. Shaped by tradition and local habits as much as by industrial production and scientific innovation, our diets are at the centre of growing global concern. On the one hand, food plays a crucial role in health, identity and daily life. On the other, food systems are major contributors to environmental degradation, while conflicts and climate change continue to exacerbate food insecurity in many parts of the world.

In this context, what does it mean to make the right food choices, choices that support both individual health and planetary well-being? Ultra-processed foods, while often practical and praised for their role in global food supply, are also associated with serious health concerns and ecological impact. How can we better understand their function within our diets, and how should they be classified and addressed in public discourse and policy? At the same time, access to safe, nutritious and affordable food remains deeply unequal. The reality of food injustice raises urgent concerns about how to ensure that everyone can exercise their right to nourishment, especially when the financial cost of sustainable eating is not distributed fairly. How can we become more aware of the true cost of food while recognising the disparities in consumer power across different contexts?

Istituto Svizzero, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Organisations in Rome, and the ETH Zurich World Food System Center join forces to host a one-day public forum addressing the future of food through the lens of science, diplomacy and innovation in the agro-food and agrotech sectors. Held in Rome, a key centre for international dialogue on agriculture and nutrition, the event gathers voices from research, institutions and industry to explore how food systems can evolve toward greater sustainability, equity and health. With contributions from Switzerland and Italy, the programme fosters exchange on the social and systemic changes needed to align individual and collective well-being with the long-term health of the planet.

The annual series Dispute at Istituto Svizzero provides a platform for citizen engagement relating to the globalization and the future of contemporary societies. Proposing a new topic every year, the forum aims to strengthen civic participation and public debate. Previous editions featured debates on migration, democracy, humanitarian law and the future of work.

PROGRAMME:

H11:00-11:30 Opening & Welcome
Ilyas Azouzi (Head of Science, Research and Innovation at Istituto Svizzero), Martijn Sonnevelt (ETH, World Food System Center)

H11:30-13:00 Panel I: The Right to Healthy Diets – Fixing broken Food Systems
Fredrick Matwang (Ambassador of Kenya in Italy), Chris Hogg (Global Head of Public Affairs for Nestlé), Fabio Ciconte (President of the Rome Food Council), Corinna Hawkes (FAO, Food System Division)

Moderation: Martijn Sonnevelt (ETH, World Food System Center), Lisa Meienberger (Permanent Mission to the United Nations Organisations in Rome, FDFA)

H13:00-14:00 Break

H14:00-15:30 Food Design Workshop: Planetary & Personal Health – What affects the choice we make?
Co-organised by the ETH Zurich World Food System Center and the Italian Food Design Platform of CREA – Research Center for Food and Nutrition

Stefania Ruggeri (Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata)
Virgilio Maretto (CEO & Co-founder pOsti | Co-founder Food Innovation Broker)

Moderation: Billie Maude Hauser (ETH, World Food System Center)

H15:30-16:00 Coffee Break

H16:00-17:30 Panel II: The Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods – Innovation or Threat?
Kim Mishra (Head of Biotechnology at Planted AG and Lecturer at ETH Zurich), Christina Senn-Jakobsen (CEO at Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley), Lynnette Neufeld (Director, UN FAO Food and Nutrition Division, Rome)

Moderation: Jeanne Tomaszewski (ETH, World Food System Centre)

H17:30-18:00 Coffee Break

H18:00-18:30 Keynote by Fabio Ciconte (President of the Rome Food Council)
Follow the keynote online here

H18:30-19:00 Closing Discussion

H19:00-19:30 Aperitivo

H19:30 Science & Art on Your Plate – Reception with Food tasting
Limited capacity. To reserve a spot, please write to: rsvp@istitutosvizzero.it
Lucca Zachmann (Department of Management, Technology, and Economics), Andrea Bach (Department of Health Sciences and Technology), Aterraterra (Collective founded by Fabio Aranzulla and Luca Cinquemani), Giovanni Bachetoni (Azienda Agricola Bachetoni Spoleto)

Moderation: Billie Maude Hauser (ETH, World Food System Center), Ilyas Azouzi (Istituto Svizzero)