Bilateral meeting with H.E. Daniel Liljeberg, State Secretary of Rural Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden

Rome - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with H.E. Daniel Liljeberg, State Secretary of Rural Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, on the margins of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference.

The Director-General welcomed State Secretary Liljeberg and conveyed his appreciation for Sweden’s enduring support to FAO, particularly its leadership in flexible funding mechanisms. He also acknowledged Sweden’s active engagement in FAO governance through consistent participation in various committees and bureaus over the years, which has fostered a deep understanding of FAO’s work.

The State Secretary explained that Sweden’s engagement with FAO is well informed and strengthened through the Swedish FAO Committee, a multistakeholder body that meets regularly in Sweden to provide strategic input. He highlighted the recent celebration of the Committee’s 75th anniversary and presented the Director-General with its latest publication, “Innovation and Drivers for Circularity and Bioeconomy.” He noted that Sweden’s policy priorities are closely aligned with the FAO Strategic Framework.

The State Secretary also referred to the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between FAO and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), underscoring Sweden’s close engagement with FAO and the shared vision to co-create knowledge and advance innovation that can address critical issues and tackle pressing global challenges. Among recent developments, he shared news that work at SLU in collaboration with colleagues in China has led to the development of a new high-yielding rice that greatly reduces methane emissions.

The Director-General commended Sweden’s inclusive approach to consultation and its strong emphasis on innovation as key drivers of sustainable agrifood systems. He underscored the importance of Sweden’s continued engagement in addressing emerging global challenges, particularly the escalating threat of transboundary animal diseases. In this context, he emphasized the need for coordinated international action and welcomed Sweden’s potential contributions to collective efforts in this critical area.