The 2024 Scientific Forum: Atoms4Food: Better Agriculture for Better Life opened today. The two-day forum provides a platform of exchange for world leaders, policy makers and experts to discuss how nuclear innovations can tackle world hunger and enhance sustainable agrifood systems. The event follows on from the Atoms4Food initiative, which was launched last year by the IAEA and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
In his opening remarks, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi highlighted the IAEA’s science-based contributions to support countries in addressing the global food crisis.
Watch the livestream of the Scientific Forum, and read the latest IAEA Bulletin on Atoms4Food.
Fifty countries participated in the debate during the plenary session. The statements of the delegations who participated in the general debate during the plenary session can be found here.
The following side events took place on Tuesday:
The Diversity: An Essential Ingredient in Implementing Nuclear Safeguards event emphasized how diversity nurtures innovation, broadens the talent pool and brings together the wide range of disciplines needed to carry out safeguards activities.
Diversity is more than just a ‘box to tick’ in the Department of Safeguards and at the IAEA - it is a critical asset that strengthens the IAEA’s capacity to do its job more effectively.
At another Safeguards event, COMPASS: The Story So Far event, delegates explored how the IAEA Comprehensive Capacity-Building Initiative for State systems of accounting for and control of nuclear material (SSACs) and national authorities responsible for safeguards implementation (SRAs) (COMPASS) provides tailored assistance to Member States to help them meet their nuclear verification obligations.
The Building Communities of Practice in Nuclear Security: Network Approaches for Detection Operations, Education, Training, Technical Support and Scientific Support event highlighted the importance of nuclear security networks in building capacity and collaboration. It also showcased best practices shared by the speakers, who told delegates how they had improved nuclear security practices through increasing collaboration and resource sharing; and by providing opportunities to enhance capacity building.
At the IAEA Database on Discharges of Radionuclides to the Atmosphere and Aquatic Environment event, participants experienced how the recently upgraded database supports transparency and monitoring of global discharge data.
During the event, attendees viewed data on discharges from nuclear power plants, reprocessing facilities and research reactors. The presentation showcased the accessibility and functionalities of the database, known as DIRATA, such as the data visualization map and the option to download data for further analysis.
The Planning for the Management of Spent Research Reactor Fuel and Disused Sealed Radioactive Sources for Non-Nuclear Power Member States: BRIDE and DSIDES event highlighted how non-nuclear countries can manage research reactor spent fuel and disused sealed radioactive sources.
IAEA tools such as Back End Research Reactor Integrated Decision Making Evaluation (BRIDE) and the Disused Sources Integrated Decision Evaluation Support Tool (DSIDES) can help countries understand costs, environmental impact and human resource requirements associated with various options such as recycling and final disposal of spent fuel and sources.
