Bilateral meeting with H.E. Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland

Rome -The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met today with H.E. Martin Heydon TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland in advance of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference.

The Director-General welcomed the Minister and expressed his appreciation for Ireland’s strong support for FAO and the active engagement in advancing global food security and sustainable agrifood systems. The Minister thanked the Director-General for the warm welcome and reiterated Ireland’s commitment to FAO, noting that Ireland’s historical experience with hunger informs its strong voice on issues of poverty, and the right to food.

Both parties reflected on the importance of multilateralism and the need for coordinated global action to ensure food security and the transformation towards efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. The Director-General acknowledged Ireland’s active role in supporting FAO’s work, including landmark initiatives such as the shipment of seed potatoes to Ukraine.

The Minister highlighted Ireland’s science-based approach to livestock farming, particularly sustainable grassland management practices that contribute to carbon sequestration and improved environmental outcomes. He expressed Ireland’s willingness to share this technical expertise with FAO Members. The Director-General agreed with this approach and emphasized the importance of ensuring access to diverse and healthy diets for all.

The Director-General further thanked Ireland for its support to the World Food Forum, which takes place annually every October at FAO headquarters, particularly in empowering youth as the future of global agriculture.

Looking ahead, the Minister highlighted Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026, reaffirming the country’s strong commitment to driving forward the transformation of agrifood systems at the regional and global levels. The Director-General welcomed this commitment and underscored the importance of ensuring that FAO is equipped with adequate financial resources to meet the growing expectations of its Members. He emphasized the Organization’s critical role in delivering on its core mandates, including international standard setting through bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius, and the production of essential statistical indicators that guide evidence-based policymaking in support of the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life—leaving no one behind.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister presented the Director-General with a letter committing the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as a member of the Global Network Against Food Crisis. The Minister expressed his appreciation for FAO's role in co-hosting the Secretariat of the Network, and looked forward to Ireland's contribution, as the first agriculture ministry to join the Network, to drive interventions by addressing the root causes of food insecurity.