Alois Rainer, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs, visited the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin-Marienfelde today, 7 July 2026. The Minister’s programme included attending the Institute’s General Assembly, a meeting with the BfR management and a tour of the BfR experimental farm. The main topics of discussion were consumer health protection and the role of scientific policy advice. The BfR is a scientifically independent research institute operating under the Ministry’s remit.

On the occasion of his visit, Federal Minister Alois Rainer stated: “Close cooperation between research and policy is essential for identifying risks at an early stage and taking targeted countermeasures. Through its work, the BfR makes a significant contribution to ensuring that food, substances and products in Germany and Europe are safer. At present, hybrid threats to critical infrastructure are at the top of the list of potential – and, unfortunately, very real – risks. Of course, our food and feed can also become targets of attack. We want to protect people from this hazard as effectively as possible. We are in the process of establishing key structures and significantly strengthening cooperation between the federal government and the German federal states in the domain of food and feed defence. We are also driving forward activities in this domain at federal level.”

 “The timely identification of new health risks to the population is one of the BfR’s key tasks,” said BfR President Prof. Andreas Hensel. “Scientific assessment, policy advice and public information are the BfR’s key tools in this regard. Current issues such as microplastics and PFAS compounds – also known as ‘forever chemicals’ – are causing concern among many people. They are examples of just how important it is for the BfR to advise policymakers and educate the public on a scientific basis.”

New research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggests that exposure to air pollution may impact genes associated with sperm development, raising new questions about male fertility, pregnancy outcomes and offspring health.

A landmark international study has found that halving patient out-of-pocket costs was associated with a 2.67-fold increase in births achieved through assisted reproductive technology (ART).

A new nationwide study has found substantial regional differences in sperm quality, with men in the highest-performing region recording almost double the total motile sperm count of those in the lowest-performing region.

A new PNAS feature highlights the critical role of behavioral and decision sciences in U.S. governance. The publications demonstrate how psychological and economic research protects public health, consumer rights, and finances across government agencies including the FTC, SEC, and FDA. Case studies show how "invisible" scientific frameworks streamline medical drug reviews, combat digital deception, and model public health crises like the opioid epidemic, calling for stronger long-term ties between academic institutions and public policy. 

A new CMCC analysis quantifies, for the first time, the link between climate risk and Italy’s public finances, showing how climate change could further weaken the country’s already fragile economic growth and worsen debt sustainability. Warming could cost Italy up to 6 percentage points of GDP by the middle of the century and double the refinancing risks of Italian debt. Losses are not distributed evenly across Europe: southern and eastern regions are more exposed, while Italy faces the risk of weaker long-term growth and a more fragile fiscal outlook.