MYMATCH Co‑creation cycle – Workshop 1 

The MYMATCH project has launched a cross‑fertilization workshop series designed to co‑create actionable strategies for mycotoxin (MY) risk management under climate change.
The overarching goal of the series is to bring together researchers, farmers, industry actors, regulators, and international organisations to develop a shared understanding of mycotoxins risks, refine monitoring and prevention strategies, and ultimately co-draft integrated action plansand releasing final recommendations. Across three workshops, participants will progressively move from (1) validating and refining perceived risks, to (2) identifying feasible tools and strategies, and finally (3) consolidating integrated action plans and recommendations for different decision levels. Parallel sessions, in national language will be dedicated to collect farmers’ perspectives to complement the process. 

Workshop 1, held on 4 March 2026, focused on validating and discussing stakeholders’ perceptions of how climate change affects mycotoxins risks along the food and feed chain in Europe. Starting from a set of key statements derived from bilateral interviews with experts of the MYMATCH Stakeholder Advisory Board, run in 2025, participants engaged in structured reflection supported by model‑based evidence.  

The discussion highlighted several converging insights:  

• increasing climate‑driven variability and spatial heterogeneity of mycotoxins risks;  

• rising vulnerabilities for farmers due to weather instability, costs, and regulatory pressure; ongoing challenges in aligning testing capacity, rapid methods, and predictive modelling;  

• persistent data‑sharing barriers across sectors.  

The outcome of Workshop 1 is a Validated perceptions framework on how climate change affects mycotoxins risks, combining multi-stakeholder insights with scientific evidence and prioritised according to perceived urgency and expected impact.  

This framework now serves as the baseline for Workshop 2, where participants will co‑design feasible monitoring and prevention strategies, explore model‑supported decision tools, and begin building an adoption roadmap. 

Interested in joining the co-creation journey? Workshop 2 is expected to be held in late September 2026. 

Please contact veronicamariateresa.lattanzio@cnr.it; nunziamariacito@cnr.it 

The MyMATCH Team deeply acknowledge the experts participating in the 1^st co-creation workshop: