Bilateral meeting with H.E. Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food

Rome – The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met today with H.E. Christophe Hansen, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, on the margins of the AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial Summit hosted at FAO Headquarters in advance of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference.

The Director-General welcomed the Commissioner and acknowledged the long-standing and strategic partnership between FAO and the European Union as well as the strong cooperation with successive EU Commissioners for Agriculture. He highlighted the historical role of European countries in the founding of FAO and the significance of its Rome-based headquarters. The Director-General expressed gratitude for the EU’s consistent support and emphasized the value of the EU’s extensive network of expertise, which remains accessible and beneficial to the global community.

Commissioner Hansen thanked the Director-General for hosting the AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial Summit and shared insights into the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, which aims to balance the three pillars of sustainability—economic, environmental, and social—while simplifying regulatory frameworks. He noted the demographic challenges facing the agriculture sector, with a minority of EU farmers under the age of 50. He stressed the importance of attracting and empowering youth in agriculture.

The Director-General welcomed this focus and noted that it aligns with FAO’s initiatives, including the establishment of the FAO Youth Committee and the FAO Office for Youth and Women. He also emphasized the need to continue training experts and scientists in food and agriculture, and to promote greater food diversity, particularly in increasing the availability and consumption of a wide range of fruit and vegetables.

The Commissioner spoke about the growing importance of the bioeconomy and FAO’s work in this area. The Director-General welcomed this emphasis and noted the ongoing collaboration. He also raised the urgent challenge of transboundary animal and plant diseases and shared his intention to establish global mechanisms to address these threats. He further emphasized the importance of promoting sustainable poultry production as part of a diversified and resilient agrifood system, especially in contexts of food insecurity and malnutrition

Commissioner Hansen underlined the strong alignment between the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food and FAO’s Strategic Objectives. He also noted the necessity to support farmers, and the strong arguments for agricultural investment. The Director-General highlighted the importance of educating the public and policymakers on the value of diverse and nutritious foods, noting the reduced diversity of foods on offer for consumers which required increased attention and support for the agriculture sector. Finally, he also stressed the need for increased funding for the FAO-OECD Agricultural Outlook, the Codex Alimentarius, and the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) for which he thanked the Commissioner for recent strategic EU funding.