This joint stakeholder forum was held at the end of the AGRIFOODPLAST Conference and was open to conference and external participants. The workshop is part of a series of high level stakeholder forum organised jointly by the MINAGRIS and PAPILLONS projects to share findings and solicit feedback from international and EU level stakeholders. On this occasion COST Action PRIORITY also joined the organising team. The workshop chairs were Julie Ingram: MINAGRIS Horizon project; Luca Nizzetto: PAPILLONS Horizon project; Stefania Federici: PRIORITY (Plastics Monitoring Detection Remediation Recovery) COST action.

Aims and scope

This workshop brought together experts, researchers, policy makers, industry, international agency and NGO representatives to explore the environmental and health risks associated with micro and nanoplastic in agri-food chains and how they can be assessed, measured and mitigated. This is in the context of the need to address research gaps with respect to risk assessment methodologies, and to remove uncertainties to enable policy development. With over forty participants in person and online respectively attended.

After an update from MINAGRIS, PAPILLONS and COST researchers, two expert ‘scene setting’ presentations were delivered: A roadmap for micro and nanoplastics risk assessment: lessons to be learned from plant protection products; and Standardisation of methods for micro and nanoplastics quantification (Ettore Capri) and The experience with patented food methods and the potential transfer to soil analyses (Margherita Ferrante). Following this an in-person World Café exploring how Risk Assessment Roadmap, Method Standardisation and Research gaps can be met for policy development was used in which interactive groups of participants addressed policy, research, public selected questions as follows:

RESEARCH: What are the most pressing research priorities (gaps) in the field of micro and nanoplastics risk assessment that could have a significant impact on policy development?

POLICY: How can researchers effectively communicate the potential health risks associated with micro and nanoplastics exposure in humans, animals, and ecosystems, to policymakers?

PUBLIC AWARENESS: How can we effectively communicate the potential health risks associated with micro and nanoplastics exposure in humans, animals, and ecosystems, to the public?

These discussions will inform the policy recommendations as the projects progress.