Conferences & events

Please find an overview of our previous confernces and events below. If you are interested in upcoming events, please visit the page Workshops & Events

• 6th conference - April 2021

  6th conference - April 2021

  The 6^th international conference of the Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ took place digitally on April 20 and 21, 2021. We welcomed over 250 users in our digital conference platform over these 2 days. The conference was themed 10 years of JPI HDHL: supporting the connection between food and health towards a systemic approach.

  In 2020 we reached a milestone: 10 years of JPI HDHL. The 6^th international conference offered the perfect opportunity to discuss with our stakeholders how we can build on our experiences and achievements. While there are many lessons to be learned and shared, one of the main recurring issues is how nutrition often falls in the gap between the themes of health and food. JPI HDHL stands for the need to bridge that gap, to ensure that nutrition research and policy receives the attention it deserves. This is part of the urgent, broader call for a food systems approach. Therefore, during the conference we explored how a systemic approach could be implemented to create more impact; what does this mean for scientists? What does it mean at a policy level? And how could we better connect the two? Through topical keynotes, a panel, workshops and informal discussions we covered these and other questions relevant to the future of food, nutrition and health research (see the conference programme).

  CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF JPI HDHL

  During the conference we celebrated our 10-year anniversary and looked towards the future. JPI HDHL presented two new publications that provide a short overview of our work and some key moments: a leaflet and a timeline.
  During the year we als published several videos reflecting on 10 years JPI HDHL, you can find the playlist here.

  PRESENTATIONS & RECORDINGS

  You can also download the presentations of the different sessions here. For several sessions a recording is available.

  Keynotes

  • Triggering transformation to a sustainable and healthy food system: the strategic role of the science-policy interface - Dr. Sébastien Treyer, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations -> Watch the recording
  • Advances in nutrition and health research over the past 10 years and a glimpse into the future - Prof. dr. John Mathers, Newcastle University - JPI HDHL Scientific Advisory Board vice-chair -> Watch the recording

  Inspiration sessions

  • Co-designing impact pathways - Beatrix Wepner and M.A. Petra Wagner, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (no slides available) -> Watch the recording
  • Applying an integrated approach to the challenge of sustainable food systems: insights from the SYSTEMIC project - Dr. Habtamu Alem, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
  • Co-designing impact pathways How to make healthy and sustainable diets accessible and just for all - The Just Food-research project represented by: Prof. dr. Minna Kaljonen, Finnish Environment Institute - Dr Liisa Valsta, National Institute for Health and Welfare - Dr. Teea Kortetmäki, University of Jyväskylä -> Watch the recording
  • Early-life nutrition, epigenetics and life course health – where science has taken us - Dr. Janine Felix, Erasmus MC, project leader JPI HDHL NutriPROGRAM project - Prof. dr. Marjo-Riitta Järvelin, Imperial College London, project leader JPI HDHL PREcisE project " -> Watch the recording
  • Creativity and transformation design - Dr. Marjoleine van der Meij, FALW Athena Institute

  Workshops

  • Health promotion through physical activity and nutrition synergies - Dr. Marie-Eve Piché MD PhD, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University - Dr. David Thivel PhD, AME2P laboratory, Clermont Auvergne University - Dr. Wendy van Lippevelde, ISBNPA, JPI HDHL SHAB
  • PEN-ECN - Building a sustainable network of Early Career Researchers in the online era - JPI HDHL PEN project Early Career Network represented by: Dr. Liam Kelly, University of Limerick - Dr. Alexia Sawyer, Amsterdam UMC - Dr. Beatrice Biondi, University of Bologna - Isobel Stanley, University College Dublin - Sanne Djojosoeparto, Utrecht University
  • Implementing a systems approach in research practice: a case study on food waste free food systems - Dr. Hilke Bos-Brouwers, Wageningen University & Research
  • Generating research impact: the next step - Sarah Slaghuis, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development - Prof. dr. Mireille van Poppel, University of Graz, Project leader JPI HDHL I-PREGNO project
• Workshop on nutrition, physical activity and Covid-19 - June 2020

  Workshop on nutrition, physical activity and Covid-19 - June 2020

  Covid-19 turned into a global pandemic fast and might be here to stay for the foreseeable future. There are many links between food systems and Covid-19, and within this broader context there seems to be a strong relation between diet, nutrition and the virus. On the one hand, obesity and diet-related disease appear to significantly increase the risks of Covid-19. At the same time, measures implemented because of the pandemic, such as mandatory lockdowns, are impacting people’s everyday behaviour, including diet and physical activity. That is why JPI HDHL organised an online workshop on June 17, 2020, titled ‘Food, nutrition, physical activity and Covid-19: defining what we know and still need to know in the research area of JPI HDHL’. We were joined by around 150 participants from all over Europe during the course of the workshop (programme).

  Please note that in the recording around 10 minutes are missing from the start of the panel discussion, due to a technical issue.

  PRESENTATIONS

  • Presentation on the clinical aspects of Covid-19 and nutrition - Dr. Christophe Matthys, KU Leuven
  • Presentation on Covid-19 and dietary and physical activity behaviour - Prof. Emely de Vet, Wageningen University
• 5th conference - February 2019

  5th conference - February 2019

  The 5^th international conference of the Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ took place on February 20, 2019 in Brussels and welcomed about 240 people to debate on our conference theme Diet as leverage point towards a healthy and sustainable food system. The participants represented a wide variety of stakeholders in the area of food, nutrition and health and came together to discuss the state of the art in the field of JPI HDHL and look towards the future.

  The battle against unhealthy lifestyles is interconnected with other societal challenges, in particular the effect of food production and consumption on biodiversity and climate change, and vice versa. The future-proofing of our food system is a huge challenge and the subject of much ongoing debate. JPI HDHL adheres to the viewpoint that diet is one of the main leverage points towards a healthy & future proof food system. But despite the importance of nutrition in the food system, the research area that deals with the links between nutrition and health as well nutrition related public health interventions often falls in between the agricultural and health domain with a risk of underinvestment – whereas knowledge is needed to underpin policy & interventions to work towards a healthy sustainable society.

  During the 5^th JPI HDHL conference, these were some of the questions we explored. With a panel of experts we also discussed why nutrition is relatively underfunded and how this may be improved, and how to better connect policy needs and R&I. Furthermore, we took stock of what the JPI HDHL has been working on and topics like impact of research projects and consumer behavior were addressed in workshops and inspiration sessions (see the conference programme).

  CONFERENCE REPORT

  More information about all the keynote speeches and sessions is available in the conference report.

  VLOGS EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS

  You can find a playlist with al vlogs made by Early career scientists for the Vlog contest here.

  PRESENTATIONS

  You can also download the presentations of the different sessions here:

  Keynotes

  • Initiating change for future-proof food systems and the role of gastronomy - Dr. Line Gordon, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre
  • The state of the art in nutrition, diet and health and the presentation of the new JPI HDHL Strategic Research Agenda - Helen Roche, University College of Dublin
  • General JPI HDHL presentation studio

  Inspiration sessions

  • The art of a dialogue for a healthy and sustainable food system - Prof. dr. Noelle Aarts, Radboud University
  • Making healthy and sustainable food choices easier for consumers - Camille Perrin, BEUC
  • The Milan City Lab: Co-designing education and trainings for a future proof transformation of the local food system - Matteo Villa, National Museum of Science and Technology, Milan
  • Innovative legume products for healthy and sustainable diets - Marta Vasconcelos, UCP, Portugal - Bálint Balázs, ESSRG, Hungary
  • La Louve: fostering inclusivity and better eating with a supermarket - Tom Boothe, co-founder La Louve (no slides available)

  Workshops

  • Research Impact, Legacy and Adoption - case studies in research communications - By 4 selected JPI HDHL projects: Prof. Dorothee Volkert & Prof. Marjolein Visser of MaNuEL - Dr. Marcus Boehme of AMBROSIAC - Prof. Patrizia Riso of MaPLE - Prof. Turid Rustad of ProHealth - Moderated by Rhonda Smith, Minerva
  • Monitoring, benchmarking and supporting public and private sector action to increase healthy food environments - Dr. Janas Harrington and Prof Catherine Woods, JPI HDHL project PEN (Policy Evaluation Network) - Dr. Stefanie Vandevijvere, INFORMAS - Dr. João Breda, Programme Manager, Nutrition, PA & Obesity, WHO
  • Designing an educational module for Innovation in the Food System - Dr. Patrick O'Mahony, Food Safety Authority of Ireland - Dr. Hans Verhagen, EFSA - Dr. Maarten van der Kamp, EIT FOOD
  • Innovative approaches to increase impacts of R&I investments: the role of research funders (by Fit4food2030) - Dr. Frank Kupper, VU Athena Institute - Andreas Netz, Vinnova - Dr. Carlo Mango, Fondazione Cariplo
  • Exploring knowledge needs around food intolerances and allergies - Prof. Edith Feskens, Wageningen University, chair of the JPI HDHL Scientific Advisorey Board
• 4th conference - December 2017

  4th conference - December 2017

  The 4^th international conference of the Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ took place on December 1^st, 2017 in Brussels aiming to bring together and stimulate the dialogue between stakeholders in the area of food, nutrition and health including policy makers, funders, scientists, health care professionals, industry and NGO’s. The main theme of the conference is to work towards more societal impact of nutritional science. During the conference, an overview of the achievements and future objectives of the JPI HDHL, including the running Joint Actions, were presented.

  Networking, active participation and learning from other perspectives, insights and needs are core items of the JPI HDHL conference. The conference started with an early bird programme. This programme existed of a training ‘Speech like Obama’ for a selected group of young scientists, the possibility to schedule speeddates with other participants, and a plenary session on the role that JPI HDHL could play to easy the road from science and innovation. The main conference programme included elevator pitches about the relevance of the JPI HDHL projects where the young scientists are involved in; lectures about the importance of communication and stakeholder participation in research programming and a professional led audience debate. Furthermore, 4 parallel workshops were held on public-private R&I collaboration; how to improve the impact of nutrition science; how to organize multi-stakeholder dialogues and a decision room session to provide input for the update of the Strategic Research Agenda.

  CONFERENCE REPORT

  Click here to read the the 4^th conference report online.

  PRESENTATIONS

  You can also download the presentations of the different sessions here:

  Early Bird Sessions

  • Research and Innovation: Needs of a regulatory body - Tobin Robinson, Scientific Committee and Emerging Risks Unit, EFSA
  • Research integrity in the food and drink industry - Silvia Miret-Catalan, Unilever
  • The role of JPI HDHL in the challenge to ease the road from research to innovation – Perspective from a research institution - PD Dr. Peter Eisner, Deputy Director Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging
  • Because collaboation is key - Flanders Food

  Plenary sessions

  • Dr. John Bell, director of Bioeconomy at the EC DG Research and Innovation (presentation not available)
  • Effectiveness of existing policies for lifestyle interventions – Policy Evaluation Network (PEN) - Prof. Wolfgang Ahrens, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology
  • Investing in the European future we want (LAB–FAB–APP report) - Prof. Lucyna Wozniak, member of the High Level Group on maximising impact of EU R&I programmes

  Parallel workshops

  • Results of 3 JPI HDHL Knowledge Hubs: DEDIPAC - Jeroen Lakerveld, VU University Medical Center / ENPADASI - Jildau Bouwman, TNO / MaNuEL - Marjolein Visser, VUmc - Dorothee Volkert, FAU
  • Technology Transfer from Academia to the Food Industry in Europe - Susanne Braun, Hohenheim Reseach Center for Bioeconomy
  • Multi-stakeholder dialogues - FIT4FOOD2030
  • Nutrition in Transition
  • Update of the JPI HDHL Strategic Research Agenda - Dr. Martijntje Bakker, Vice Chair of the Management Board / Group Descision Room concept
• 3rd conference - June 2015

  3rd conference - June 2015

  Almost 200 participants joint the third international conference of the JPI HDHL on the 19^th of June in Brussels. The objective of this conference was to achieve a dialogue between the participants – which are a representation of the great variety of stakeholder in the area of JPI HDHL – to support alignment and collaboration between research programmes and policies (see the conference programe).

  On the programme were among others presentations about the running Joint Actions of the JPI HDHL, the outcomes of the FAO/WHO Second Conference on Nutrition, and the results and upcoming plans of JPI HDHL. Furthermore participants could choose between a variety of workshops: a workshop on Nutrition Security (follow up of the EXPO event); a workshop on standardisation and data sharing, a workshop on the collaboration between researchers and the industry and a workshop on the first results of the DEDIPAC Knowledge Hub. As an intermezzo the audience participated in a lively debate on statements like "every researcher should invest 10% of his/her time in an open source research infrastructure". The conference was closed with an inspiring presentation of Hannelore Daniel "The future of our science: challenges, chances and my personal view" in her valedictory speech as chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of JPI HDHL.

  CONFERENCE REPORT

  Click here to read the 3^rd conference report online.

  PRESENTATIONS

  You can download the presentations of the different sessions here:

  Plenary sessions

  • JPI HDHL - Dr. Pamela Byrne, Chair of the Management Board
  • Positioning and alignment of national and international research activities in the field of nutrition and health - Dr. John Bell, director of Bioeconomy at the EC DG Research and Innovation
  • European nutritional phenotype assessment and data sharing initiative - Jildau Bouwman, TNO
  • WHO Food and Nutritional Policies and Strategies in Europe and outcomes of the 2nd International Nutrition Conference - Joao Breda, WHO/ Europe
  • Knowledge Hub to integrate and develop infrastructure for research across Europe - Jeroen Lakerveld, VU University Medical Center
  • The Food Biomarkers Alliance - Prof. Edith Feskens, PI FOODBALL

  Workshop: European Collaboration - Nutrition Security

  • Climate Smart and Sustainable Nutrition Security - Martin C.Th. Scholten, Animal Task Force
  • Diet, nutrition and food security – future research needs - Joao Breda, WHO/ Europe
  • Multiple drivers of food insecurity Integrating the natural and the social - Lynn J. Frewer, Food and Society group
  • Nutritional Security of Our Food Supply: Potential Impact of Climate Change - Michael A. Grusak, USDA-ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA

  Workshop: Debate with industry - how research and industry in the field of JPI HDHL can work together

  • How can research and industry in the field of JPI-HDHL work together?

  Workshop: DEDIPAC - first accomplishments across three thematic areas

  • DEDIPAC
  • Thematic Area 1: Assessment and harmonisation of methods for future research, monitoring and evaluation of interventions - Janas Harrington, Dept Epidemiology & Public Health, University College Cork
  • Thematic Area 3: Evaluation and benchmarking of public health and policy interventions aimed at improving dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours - Marieke De Craemer

  Workshop: Research Infrastructures - data sharing & standardisation

  • Data sharing/pooling in DEDIPAC - Anne Loyen, VU University Medical Center
  • Data sharing & standardisation (DH&S) between JPIs and RIs - Jildau Bouwman, TNO
  • IARC’s contribution to the JPI-HDHL Workshop on Data Sharing & Standardisation - Nadia Slimani, International Agency for Research on Cancer
  • Co-creation of research and its enabling infrastructures in the Food & Health domain - Pieter van 't Veer, EuroDISH

  MAGAZINE

  Click hear to read the magazine of the 3^rd conference.

• EXPO Milan - May 2015

  EXPO Milan - May 2015

  On the 13^th of May 2015, during the EXPO 2015 in Milan, the EU Joint Programming Initiatives on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI) and A Healthy Diet for A Healthy Life (JPI HDHL) organized the "Grand Debate on Nutrition Security – a whole system approach".

  The Grand Debate, supported by the European Commission, focussed on the impact of climate change on providing a sustainable food supply that has the nutritional requirements to ensure a healthy population. The Grand Debate aimed to bring together approximately 100 leading researchers, policy makers and politicians to:

  • Facilitate a dialogue between international and national stakeholders to deepen our understanding of the challenge we are facing in providing future generations with a sustainable and nutritious food supply thereby ensuring a healthy population.
  • Identify the role that both JPIs and their Member States can play in tackling this societal challenge through the articulation of the research questions that should be addressed both individually and collaboratively by the JPIs.

  You can find the key messages of the grand debate here.
• 2nd conference - March 2014

  2nd conference - March 2014

  The Second Conference of the Joint Programming Initiative 'A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life' (JPI HDHL) took place on Friday March 28, 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Brussels. The conference provided an update on the progress of JPI HDHL since the first Conference in 2012 and launched the next phase of Joint Programming - the Implementation Plan. Networking opportunities were offered to stakeholders in the health and nutrition sector and all relevant partners to ensure that our collective joint efforts regarding a healthy diet for a healthy life deliver impact and provide solutions for this grand societal challenge. See the final conference programme and overview of key note speakers. 

  IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

  Click here to read the JPI HDHL Implementation Plan 2014-2015 online. The most recent strategic documents can be found here.

  PRESENTATIONS

  Please click on the links below for the presentation:

  • Implementation Plan JPI HDHL by Pamela Byrne

  • SAB Implementation Plan by Hannelore Daniel

  • SHAB Implementation Plan by Beate Kettlitz

  • JA DEDIPAC by Hans Brug

  • Summary of the day by Pamela Byrne

• 1st conference - June 2012

  1st conference - June 2012

  On June 14^th, 2012, the first conference of the Joint Programming Initiative “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life” was held in the Bel Air Hotel in The Hague, The Netherlands. At the conference, the first Strategic Research Agenda of the JPI HDHL was launched. More than 220 participants from all over Europe joined the conference, and the interest in the conference was overwhelming. Hence, the conference, chaired by Prof. Wim Saris, Chair of the Management Board, was considered to be very successful.

  The opening speech was given by André van der Zande, Director General of the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and Environment). Afterwards, Rudulf Strohmeier, Deputy Director General of DG Research and Innovation, who emphasised the support of the European Commission for this initiative, gave a short lecture.

  As a major issue on the conference agenda, the Strategic Research Agenda was presented by Prof. Hannelore Daniel, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Hannelore Daniel has played an important and crucial role in realizing this document. The final goal of the JPI and the Strategic Research Agenda is to have a healthier diet and lower the amount of diet-related diseases in a long term perspective. Hannelore Daniel ended her presentation about the Strategic research agenda 2012-2020 with her vision and dream on the JPI and the future: “To establish a European Nutrition and Food Research Institute to improve scientific collaboration and communication across national borders, foster excellence, and better integrate food, nutrition and health research throughout Europe”.

  Apart from plenary sessions, several workshops were held at the conference, one for each Research Area of the Strategic Research Agenda:

  1. Determinants of diet and physical activity: ensuring the healthy choice is the easy choice for consumers
  2. Diet and food production: developing high-quality, healthy, safe and sustainable food products
  3. Diet-related chronic diseases: preventing diet-related, chronic diseases and increasing the quality of life -  delivering a healthier diet
  4. Horizontal issues: How to collaborate. In the workshops there were different presentations of existing European initiatives and a discussion about how these initiatives can connect with the Strategic Research Agenda and contribute to the implementation of it.

  STRATEGIC RESEARCH AGENDA

  Click here to read the first Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) online. The most recent strategic documents can be found here.