Last Updated on March 7, 2025 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
By Olasunkanmi Olajide & Joy Adeyiga
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), today, March 4, 2025, held the Opening Ceremony of the 2nd International Conference of Food Science and Human Ecology, tagged “ICOFHEC 2025,” bringing together researchers, policymakers, and international participants to explore solutions to global food security challenges.
With the theme “Synergy in Sustenance: Exploring the Nexus of Food and Human Ecology,” the Opening Ceremony, held at the Red Chamber, provided a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration on pressing issues such as climate change, malnutrition, and resource depletion.
Declaring the event open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Olukayode Akinyemi, stressed the urgency of building a sustainable food system as the world’s population approaches 10 billion by 2050. He underscored FUNAAB’s commitment to agricultural research and innovation, noting the University’s recent ranking as Africa’s Best Agricultural University and 7th globally by the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World Universities Ranking.
Commending the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Abdul-Rasaq Adebowale, and other international participants, he stressed the importance of collaboration in addressing food security and sustainability.
In her Welcome Address, the Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology (COLFHEC), Prof. Adebukunola Omemu, described the conference as a milestone, recalling that the first edition was held in 2016. She announced plans to make ICOFHEC a biennial event, ensuring sustained engagement in tackling global food challenges.
Delivering the keynote lecture on “Innovative Strategies for Scaling Sustainable Food Systems, Enhancing Nutrition Security, Value Chain Development, and Meeting Consumer Preferences,” Prof. Adebowale from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kinshasa, DRC, highlighted the need for regenerative agriculture, sustainable waste management, and value chain optimisation to enhance food security. He stressed that reliable food access hinges on strong partnerships and diversified food production systems.
The Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Prof. Mojisola Adegunwa, reaffirmed the conference’s objective of fostering collaboration, exchanging knowledge, and driving impactful solutions in food science and human ecology.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to the Vice-Chancellor and the Keynote Speaker, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to food security and sustainability.
Meanwhile, the event later broke into Technical Sessions with an exhibition declared open by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, Prof. Kola Adebayo.
