Venue: Palac Staszic, 72 Nowy Świat, Warsaw, Poland

Organisers: Polish Academy of Sciences, INGSA, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

This one day workshop brought together researchers and stakeholders from across Europe to discuss the role of science advice, science diplomacy and science communication in national and international biosecurity risks. As a case study, the event focused on the issue of African swine fever (ASF)

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral pig disease. ASF exemplifies great economic and scientific challenge that can be addressed only with best possible international collaboration and implementation of science-informed decisions. If not contained, the spread  of African Swine Fever ASF will spell global economic disaster.

The workshop focused on science-to-science and science-government collaboration on ASF containment. Combating ASF requires partnership of researchers representing different wields (chiefly applied ecologists and veterinarians), which not always share the same perspectives. The workshop focused on methods of overcoming differences between scientific domains and communicating the compromise to the decision-makers.

The workshop also tackled the problem of communication with general public. Mass reduction of population of wild boars and pig stocks have sparked a public outrage. On top of it, a very strict measures of biosecurity enforced in agriculture creates significant social tensions, particularly in rural areas. All these requires skillful communication with the society, which is generally lacking across many countries.

The problem is of general nature and applies to any other biosecurity issues.

See the agenda here.