Montpellier Global Days 2024: science mobilizes for tomorrow
The 2024 edition of Montpellier Global Days will once again bring together the scientific community from March 18 to 20 at the Corum in Montpellier around the theme of "Pooling collective intelligence for action." Launched in 2021, The Montpellier Process is led by the University of Montpellier, its partners in the I-site program of excellence, and CGIAR. As a prelude to this event, on March 18 at 6:30 p.m., Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Secretary General of the Club of Rome, an international think tank known for its famous "Meadows Report," will give a conference open to the general public entitled "From alarm to saving the planet, science mobilizes."
Food systems, a lever for sustainable development
Over two days, three hundred experts, scientists, and decision-makers from sixty countries will discuss, exchange ideas, and reflect on how to harmonize their roadmaps in line with the challenges of tomorrow embodied in the three pillars of the I-site label of excellence: "feed, care for, and protect." The aim is to produce an action plan that is as urgent as it is necessary. This event also provides an opportunity to mobilize political and academic actors from a broad scientific ecosystem linked to international institutions, with the participation of Michaël Delafosse, President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole.
The aim of Montpellier Global Days 2024 is to promote the establishment of a collaborative framework enabling leading international experts and representatives of intergovernmental organizations to collectively address the many interrelated challenges of agriculture, food, the environment, and health. The primary focus will be on transforming food systems as a lever for sustainable development, while strengthening interactions between science, politics, and civil society.
Conference event by the Secretary General of the Club of Rome
As a prelude to the event, on March 18, 2024, a conference open to the general public (free upon registration) entitled "From alarm to saving the planet, science mobilizes" will feature many prestigious guests, including Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Secretary General of the Club of Rome, an international think tank that is a pioneer in thinking about sustainable development and known for its famous "Meadows Report." This will be an opportunity to highlight the scientific community's desire for action and to focus on the many interactions, both synergies and obstacles, between scientific experts and political decision-makers at the local, national, and international levels. The topics covered will be wide-ranging: food, health, biodiversity, sustainable development, science-policy interfaces, and more.
Highlights of the Montpellier Global Days 2024 program
The Montpellier Process: pooling collective intelligence into action
- Monday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Einstein Auditorium (Corum):
Public conference entitled "From alarm bells to saving the planet: science takes action," featuring Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Secretary General of the Club of Rome. Also featuring speeches by Michaël Delafosse, President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Ruy López Ridaura, Deputy Minister of Health of Mexico (via video link), Gerda Verburg, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and former Minister of Agriculture of the Netherlands (2007-2010), Akiko Suwa-Eisenmann, Chair of the High-Level Panel of Experts of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (HLPE-FSN), Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin, CEO of CIRAD, Sandra Diaz, Professor at the University of Cordoba (Argentina), Heide Hackmann, professor at the University of Pretoria (South Africa), Thomas Mettenleiter, co-chair of the High-Level Panel of Experts on One Health, Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier, Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, chair of the CGIAR Board of Trustees. (detailed program)
- Tuesday, March 19 at 9 a.m. in the Pasteur Auditorium (Corum):
Official opening attended by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, Chair of the CGIAR Board of Trustees, Michaël Delafosse, President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Jalil Benabdillah, Vice President in charge of Economy, Employment, Innovation, and Reindustrialization for the Occitanie Region.
- Wednesday, March 20 at 4:05 p.m. in the Pasteur Auditorium (Corum):
Presentation of the action plan "Refining the expert panels and science-policy interface joint message and ambition narrative: towards the 2024-2033 UN decade of sciences for sustainable development" by Patrick Caron (University of Montpellier, CIRAD) and Fabrice DeClerck (CGIAR)
- Wednesday, March 20 at 4:35 p.m. in the Pasteur Auditorium (Corum):
Summary and commitments by François Pierrot, Vice President for International Relations at the University of Montpellier, and Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Director of CGIAR
Please let us know in advance if you would like to attend the public conference, the official opening, or the closing ceremony. We are of course available for any interview requests or additional information.
A press kit will also be available for download on the day of the launch of Montpellier Global Days 2024.