Facilitators: Prof. Jeffrey LeJeune, Dr Jorge Pinto Ferreira, Prof. Simon Reid, Dr Yen Pham, Dr Elizabeth Parker, Dr Oz Sahin, Dr Susan Vaughn Grooters

Background: Food is an important vehicle for human exposure to AMR pathogens and commensal organisms. The environment serves as a major reservoir of AMR, contributing to the contamination of food, feed, and animals. Applying Systems Thinking within a One Health framework enables a holistic understanding of the complex interactions driving AMR transmission and provides a framework for assessing risks, helping identify leverage points for effective intervention.

Aims: To build participants’ capacity to apply Systems Thinking approaches to map, analyse and assess complex systems driving food-related AMR transmission in research and policy contexts.

Workshop participants and activity: This interactive, hands-on workshop will use real-world AMR case examples to promote collaborative learning through systems mapping, group discussions, and plenary sessions. No prior experience in Systems Thinking or risk assessment is required. Background materials and practical tools will be provided before and during the workshop.

Participants will learn to:

Explain the role of the environment in food contamination and foodborne AMR exposure.
Apply systems mapping to understand the interconnected nature of the food/AMR system through identifying key drivers, feedback loops and system delays that influence the risk of AMR exposure.
Explore stakeholder perspectives and opportunities for coordinated One Health responses across the food, animal, plant, and environmental sectors for AMR control.
Identify leverage points for preventing and managing food-related AMR.