On 28 April UNIDO ITPO Italy hosted its webinar “Boosting women’s research and innovation in dairy and livestock sectors”, an open discussion among Italian and Pakistani women researchers and entrepreneurs operating in the livestock and dairy industry. Promoted by CremonaFiere, the initiative represented an opportunity to exchange knowledge and best practices in the field between Italy and Pakistan, simultaneously contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Moderated by Ms. Ester Temperato, Investment Promotion Expert of UNIDO ITPO Italy, the online conference opened with the welcome remarks of UNIDO ITPO Italy Head Ms. Diana Battaggia, who stated: “The livestock and dairy industry plays a strategic role in Pakistan; this is why we need to promote a development based on research, innovation and women participation to upgrade the local sector and foster an inclusive, sustainable socio-economic growth in the country ”. 

The first session of the webinar saw the presentations of Ms. Sara Soldi and Ms. Marina Elli, respectively Clinical Studies Lab and R&D Responsible at Advanced Analytical Technologies (AAT), a women-run business promoting scientific innovation in the probiotic sector and spin off of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – who described projects, areas of interventions and services in the field of R&D; and Ms. Elisabetta Quaini, Business Partner and Manager of Barbiselle Srl Agro Farm, who illustrated the facilities and the tradition of her family farm, true real example of Italian excellence, with an outlook to agriculture and livestock in terms of sustainability and women participation.

During the second session floor was given to Ms. Humera Iqbal, Researcher and Project Manager at ACIAR Aik Saath Livestock Projects in Pakistan, highlighting several projects implemented to support research and innovation in order to improve agriculture and livestock value chains in Pakistan, and Ms. Nuzhat Qaiser, Executive Director and Owner of Usama Dairies, who introduced her farm which, thanks to the investments in the last years, has become a success case in South Punjab.

A final session of open and constructive discussion – moderated by Ms. Saira Ahmed, Director of Sustainability and Environment at the Capital University of Science & Technology in Islamabad – concluded the online event allowing to further the debate among the speakers with regards to youth participation, technological innovation, foreign investments and government incentives, cattle breeds, and other topics.

The event showed the presence of many opportunities for upgrade and collaboration in different sub-sectors of interest; new follow-up activities by UNIDO ITPO Italy will now follow, in order to continue to promote investment and technology transfer and potential partnerships between Italy and Pakistan for inclusive and sustainable local industrial development.