ICGEB is at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, celebrating 80 years of activity – hand in hand for better foods and a better future, from 10 to 17 October 2025.
FAO Global Exhibition
At the FAO Global Exhibition: From Seeds to Foods (10-13 October) marking the 80th anniversary of FAO, ICGEB was present together with hundreds of exhibitors from around the world, taking visitors on an informative journey through the value chains of crops, horticulture, livestock, forestry, and fisheries.
The ICGEB delegation included Elena Benedetti, Head of Fundraising, Technology Transfer & Innovation; Fernando Cantão, Project Assistant; and Dr Birhan Addisie, Postdoctoral Fellow ICGEB Biomanufacturing Laboratory. Partners from Arba Minch University and Lucy Enset were also present, adding great value and tangible African presence to the events.
Hosted in the Innovation Pavilion, the ICGEB stand presented projects focused on sustainable agriculture and agri-tech innovations — technologies designed to transform and sustain global agricultural production. Among the projects featured was B-INOC Africa, that works to accelerate innovation, technology transfer, and the development of microbial bioinoculants for resilient agricultural production and affordable food processing.
The CEDRIC project, an Interreg initiative between Italy and Austria, aims to strengthen biodiversity and restore microbiological balance in soils that have lost fertility.
Through these projects, ICGEB showcased how cutting-edge research contributes to global efforts for biodiversity restoration and sustainable food systems.
FAO Science and Innovation Forum 2025: Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future
The FAO Science and Innovation Forum 2025 (13-17 October )at FAO Headquarters emphasised the critical role of science, innovation, and partnerships in shaping a more a more resilient and equitable food future.
ICGEB was invited to participate and to showcase its research in a series of meetings and workshops aimed at promoting innovation and raising awareness on sustainable agricultural practices.
Highlights included:
Prof. Addisu Fekadu Andeta, ICGEB CRP Grant Awardee and Founder of Lucy Enset, who shared how indigenous knowledge and scientific innovation come together to improve food security, food safety, and create new economic and development opportunities for smallholder farmers and rural communities in Ethiopia.
Fernando Cantão, Project Assistant at the Fundraising, Technology Transfer & Innovation Office, participated in the A4IP Flagship Event 2025: Innovating Agri-Food Research & Development Models for a Changing Landscape, organised by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. He took part in the panel “The Power of Ideation: Future-Proof Science to Market”, discussing how to close the gap between innovation, development, and the effective deployment of sustainable agricultural solutions.
The ICGEB team also presented its innovations in agriculture, with a special focus on the B-INOC Africa project.
Through this participation ICGEB reaffirms its commitment to advancing scientific innovation and international collaboration in support of sustainable agriculture and global food security.
