Winter School “Sustainable Agrifood Systems and Plastic Pollution: A One Health Vision”

An international training initiative within the ACHIEVE-IT project, coordinated by the University of Parma and promoted by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

University of Parma (UNIPR), as the lead institution of the project “Academic Collaboration through Higher International Education for a Viable and Equitable Africa with Italy (ACHIEVE-IT)” – within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), Mission 4 “Education and Research”, Component 1 “Enhancement of the educational services offer: from early childhood to universities”, Investment 3.4 “Advanced University Teaching and Skills”, Submeasure T4 “Transnational Educational Initiatives”, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU (CUP: D91I23001030006) –
announces a call for applications for researchers and university lecturers to participate in the Winter School “Sustainable Agrifood Systems and Plastic Pollution: A One Health Vision”, to be held in Rome (Italy), at the TH Roma Carpegna Palace Hotel, on 20–21 November 2025 promoted by the University Cattolica del Sacro cuore of Piacenza.

Course Description
The Winter School aims to provide PhD candidates, researchers, and lecturers with an integrated, evidence-based understanding of micro- and nanoplastics in agrifood systems, through a One Health perspective connecting environment, food safety, and human health.
Through an interdisciplinary program combining chemistry, ecotoxicology, toxicology, microbiology, modeling, and risk assessment, participants will explore the entire “farm-to-fork” chain, addressing sources, transport, and persistence of plastics in soils and crops, hazards from agroplastics for food safety, interactions with soil microbiota and earthworms, and the role of microplastics as pollutant vectors.

The program integrates advanced scientific concepts and policy insights, supported by published case studies bridging terrestrial and marine environments, the global policy landscape on plastic use in agriculture, and One Health risks for people, including fertility and non-communicable diseases.
Leading international experts will ensure high-quality, state-of-the-art content and global perspectives.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to critically assess evidence, quantify risks, and design monitoring and mitigation strategies across agrifood systems.

Target Audience
The call is specifically addressed to researchers and lecturers from the following partner universities:

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Kenya)
University of Sousse (Tunisia)
University of Monastir (Tunisia)

For eligibility criteria, application procedures, and further details, please refer to the attached call document: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1K3Hp7sOmlOL2EHzs6Y_gLzDwPD4FqZye?usp=sharing

Winter School “Sustainable Agrifood Systems and Plastic Pollution: A One Health Vision”

An international training initiative within the ACHIEVE-IT project, coordinated by the University of Parma and promoted by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

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