For years, scientists all over the world have warned us that the way in which we treat animals and nature is a serious risk factor in the outbreak of zoonotic diseases. The COVID-19 crisis was not produced by an extraterrestrial force, it is anthropogenic, just like climate change is. COVID-19, SARS, MERS, Ebola, BSE and HIV – they all originated from a dysfunctional relationship between humans, animals, and nature. Zoonosis is a dangerous symptom of the crisis because it shows how quickly human-induced habitat destruction can strike back. But it also shows that humans, animals and nature are indivisibly linked.

Along with an independent research institute FOUR PAWS conducted a Future Study. In the study, renowned international experts from various scientific disciplines were interviewed about three possible post-COVID-19 future scenarios. The results will be presented to an expert audience from science, politics, the media and the general public. Prior to the World Health Summit (October 24^th-26^th), FOUR PAWS is conducting a one-hour online expert panel discussion on October 20^th at 5 PM (CET), 11 AM (EST).

We would like to invite you to join the live stream of the online expert panel discussion. By registering I am agreeing FOUR PAWS sending me the event details and further information's concerning the event by email.

At the moderated panel, international experts will discuss the core theses and results of the Future Study and give their input on what steps are needed to prevent the next pandemic. We are eager to discuss path dependencies, interactions and forecasts in the fields of agriculture, climate, animal welfare and global health. Along with the Future Study, the panel discussion aims to help create a better understanding of how our relationship with animals and nature must change – and support decision-makers in leading the way into a sustainable future.

The Future Panel will feature an upfront presentation of the study by FOUR PAWS CEO Josef Pfabigan as well as a panel discussion with renowned international experts from several disciplines:

• Dr Syra Madad: US-based leading epidemiologist in public health and special pathogens preparedness and response. Dr Madad has been featured in two leading documentaries, the Netflix docuseries Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak, as well as the Discovery documentary The Vaccine: Conquering COVID.
• Mia MacDonald: Executive director and founder of Brighter Green. New York-based public policy analyst and writer who has worked as a consultant to a range of international non-governmental organisations.
• Dr Kurt Schmidinger: Food scientist, founder of the project Future Food , Research Institute for Ethics and Science in Dialogue (FEWD), University of Vienna.
• Dr Mark Jones: British veterinarian with qualifications and experience in aquatic and wild animal health, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, since 2014 Head of Policy at Born Free Foundation.
• Nina Jamal: FOUR PAWS International Head of Farm Animal and Nutrition Campaigns, Pandemics and Animal Welfare expert.

About the Future Study

For the Future Study, interviews were conducted with 29 renowned international experts from disciplines such as virology, human health, veterinary medicine, agriculture, climate research, economics, law and social sciences in qualitative research.