THE science and technology community is one of nine major groups the United Nations identified in 2002 as vital to the global body in charting the way to sustainable development.
And yet, it’s uncommon for scientists to get a seat at the table to advise governments on these global challenges.
There’s so much talent and expertise among the scientific community today just waiting to be tapped to assist the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
These include alleviation of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, eradication of diseases, promoting gender equality, encouraging green growth and providing education for all.
Stalwarts within the science and technology community are umbrella bodies such as the International Council for Scientific Union, the then-Third World Academy of Sciences, and the World Federation of Engineering Organisations.
An excellent addition to those ranks is the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), founded in 1993 as the InterAcademy Panel.
At present the IAP comprises 130 academies of science and medicine across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
The Academy of Sciences Malaysia is a member.
Its stated goal is to assist member academies advise the public on the scientific aspects of critical global issues.
And today, nothing is more critical than achieving the 17 SDGs.
The IAP, the global network of the world’s science academies, brings together established regional networks of science and medical academies, enabling the voice of science to be heard in addressing societal priorities.
One of the IAP’s recent reports, “Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture”, addresses an issue much in the crosshairs of the SDGs.According to the IAP, “all countries face the problem of combating malnutrition in its various forms: undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies as well as overweight and obesity, the latter being one of the maladies of modern Malaysia.
“The scale and nature of these problems, of course, differ across countries and their populations. Latest data from the UN indicate worrying trends in global food and nutrition security that must be tackled.
“Science has the potential to find sustainable solutions for national and global food systems relating to the complex interplay of issues spanning health, nutrition, agriculture, climate change, ecology and human behaviour.”
The IAP’s global focus derives from three key perspectives:
First, science to strengthen and safeguard international public goods, i.e. those goods and services that have to be provided on a scale that is beyond countries and can be achieved better collectively;
Second, international environmental and institutional risks and their transmission in an uncertain and rapidly connected world, as well as opportunities and risks of innovations and technologies (again from a science perspective);
Third, the SDGs, which provide a critically important policy framework for understanding and meeting the challenges.
However, they require fresh engagement by science to resolve the complexities of evidence-based policies and programmes, as well as resolving potential conflicts among goals.
The IAP defines the desired outcome for food and nutrition security as access for all to a healthy and affordable diet that is environmentally sustainable and culturally acceptable.
The major global challenges for delivering food and nutrition security are compounded by the pressures of a growing population, urbanisation, climate and other environmental change, economic inequality and market instability, as well as political disruptions and social injustices.
The IAP highlighted throughout its report the importance of internationally supporting and sharing basic and applied research for improved food, nutrition and agriculture.
Specifically, the report calls for more coordinated action on priority themes of international relevance among different research funders.
Further, the IAP is convinced that translation of research to innovation requires stronger connections across disciplines and with cutting-edge technologies, linkage to science education, training and outreach.
Social science and policy researchers on food, nutrition and agriculture are challenged to enter into deep cooperation with life sciences and basic researchers, and vice versa.
The IAP believes that upgrading scientific infrastructure is vital, as is sustained funding support for research, but it is also important to engender more collaboration between countries to share scientific expertise and facilities, and to help build capacity in emerging economies.
New regional research efforts are warranted, accompanied by commitment to engagement between regional scientific and policy communities on the SDGs, climate objectives and cognate matters.
IAP sees the need to be more ambitious in identifying the scientific opportunities for sustainable and healthy diets.
Agriculture and food systems are vital for achieving most of the 17 SDGs, especially those calling for an end to hunger and extreme poverty by 2030.
There is a need to catalyse and coordinate new commitment to research and innovation, and to mobilise those resources in engagement between the scientific community, policymakers and other stakeholders.
Nutrition and water will be further challenged over time by climate change, and by economic and political disruptions.
Achieving healthy populations requires national actions supported by new international approaches to improved functioning of our food systems.
And, as the IAP report underscores, these increasingly rely on advancing science.
The writer is a senior fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and former vice-president of The World Academy of Sciences