44th SESSION OF THE FAO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE Opening Statement

Your Excellency the Chairperson of the 44th FAO Ministerial Conference,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

Good morning.

Welcome to the week-long 44th FAO Ministerial Conference in Rome as we discuss the priorities for FAO at a time when our collective future urges us to ensure we have sufficient, nutritious and affordable foods for all humankind.

We gather at a moment when the very foundations of global agrifood systems are being tested.

This Conference is our global time – where ambition must meet strategy, where innovation must scale rapidly, and where solidarity must translate into tangible actions and solutions.

The world's plates and our planet's health depend on the decisions you make this week.

Eighty years after its founding, the mission inscribed in our Constitution 'to secure humanity's freedom from hunger' remains as vital and urgent as ever.

Yet, the landscape has dramatically shifted.

We confront interconnected crises demanding interconnected solutions.

As we open this session, let us reflect not only on the sobering data – the setbacks reflected in recent SOFI reports – but also on the enduring power of collaboration that defines this Organization.

This Conference is the world's premier platform to reignite that collaborative spirit, to forge consensus on the bold, systemic transformations needed. 

This is our moment to move beyond rhetoric.

The eyes of billions who depend on efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems are upon us.

We have no time to waste.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we had started with the 4E1.0 in 2019 during my first term and now progress with additional “4 Rs” – Recover, Reform, Rebuild, Renaissance – we continue to focus all our efforts to achieve the transformation we need to address global challenges and turn them into opportunities for all, but we cannot do it alone.

It requires the collective will, effort, dedication and passion of all our Members, their leaders and governments, all our partners from across the spectrum, the FAO Leadership and all our employees around the globe.

We are all in this boat together.

Key to this is maximizing technical competencies and expertise in the core areas of work of the Organization and leveraging transformative partnerships to fully harness the resources, expertise, and innovative potential available.

The Organization’s evidence-based, programmatic approaches remain agile and adaptable, allowing FAO to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities as they arise, with a focus on high-impact initiatives that maximize return on investment.

FAO remains steadfast in its commitment to value for capital (hard and soft) resources and operational efficiency ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.

This can be clearly seen with the onset of the evolving situation following recent decisions by some big Members, of how FAO’s leadership has been properly handled it by Management action with agile tactics.

FAO - and the broader UN system - faces a difficult and evolving funding environment.

Tightening resources leads to difficult decisions to be made.

This only reinforces the need for an agile, results-driven, and fit-for-purpose FAO - something I have prioritized from day one.

We are also actively contributing to a number of good practices for UN-wide efforts and initiatives.

To maintain and grow our impact, we must:

• First: focus on what FAO does best: our normative work, data and statistics, technical and specialized expertise;
• Second: show measurable impact across the Four Betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life; and
• Third: deepen partnerships - both traditional and new - to extend our reach and maintain the delivery of critical technical services, life-saving emergency responses, and essential normative work.

I assure you: FAO will continue to demonstrate clear value and results to Members, while diversifying our funding sources, developing innovative approaches, and pursuing excellence in all areas.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

733 million people were undernourished in 2023, equivalent to one in 11 individuals worldwide and one in five in Africa. This marks a stagnation, with hunger levels plateauing for three years and reverting to those seen in 2008–2009 - a regression of 15 years.

Global progress is off-track: at the current pace, by 2030 the number of chronically undernourished people may still be around 582 million, with half of them living in Africa—underscoring the world is falling far short of SDG2 Zero Hunger.

Food insecurity remains widespread: about 2.33 billion people faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023, including over 864 million experiencing severe food insecurity—meaning they sometimes went a full day without eating.

Acute food insecurity, which is the inability to consume adequate food in the short term, is at record levels.

In 2024, 295 million people, across 53 countries and territories, faced high levels of acute food insecurity, yet in 2025 global funding for the food sector is below levels seen a decade ago, even as acute food insecurity has doubled.

Over the past two years, FAO has supported countries through unprecedented challenges.

In 2023, we reached nearly 57 million people with emergency agricultural assistance.

In 2024, despite reduced funding, we supported 42.5 million people across 75 countries - saving lives, restoring livelihoods, and helping communities recover.

This work is impactful and cost-effective.

It offers a dignified solution - enabling farmers to grow food, earn income, and reduce long-term reliance on aid.

This is what people-centered, impactful assistance looks like - and it is only possible with your trust and support.

It is essential not only to respond to critical hunger situations, but also to address the core elements that underpin our agrifood systems—such as water, land, soil health, human capital, nutrition, technology and innovation, markets, financing and investment. These are the foundations that will build real resilience for our farmers, and for vulnerable countries and regions.

The role of water in agriculture, food security, and ecosystem restoration is foundational. 

The 43rd FAO Ministerial Conference endorsed “Water Resources Management for the Four Betters” our biennial theme for 2024–2025.

Over the past two years, we have taken this priority and our work on both water and soils forward by:

• One: Elevating the High-Level Rome Water Dialogue within the World Food Forum;
• Two: Receiving the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize for Global Leadership;
• Three: Hosting the first-ever International Soil and Water Forum in Bangkok;
• Four: Marking 30 years of AQUASTAT — our global water-agriculture database;
• Five: Launching of the Global Agro-Ecological Zoning Version 5 — providing insights into land use under different climate scenarios; and
• Six: Taking the lead together with Members on a UN Decade on Soil Health, including the Global Soil Health Indicators System.

On land and soils, FAO leads global action on sustainable soil management through the Global Soil Partnership, promoting healthy soils for food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem restoration—while championing initiatives like World Soil Day and the State of the World’s Soil Resources.

It empowers countries with data, tools, and innovation—from global soil maps and real-time monitoring platforms like WaPOR, to farmer-driven initiatives such as the Soil Doctor Programme—ensuring informed decisions and sustainable land use at all levels.

FAO strengthens land tenure governance with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT), helping secure land rights for smallholders, women, and indigenous peoples as a foundation for inclusive rural transformation.

FAO also successfully advocated for the inclusion of a land tenure and land use indicator in the Global Biodiversity Framework, and in 2025 we will publish a comprehensive state of land tenure and governance report in 2025.

In line with FAO’s mandate, we continue to focus on addressing hunger and malnutrition by accelerating impactful policies and actions across agrifood systems to enable healthy diets for all.

The joint statement on What Are Healthy Diets, released by FAO and the World Health Organization in 2024, outlines the four principles of healthy diets, promotes their application while celebrating the wide diversity of dietary patterns around the world

In addition, FAO also launched the Food and Diet Domain on FAOSTAT sharing food and nutrient statistics from different types of dietary data across different dimensions of the food supply chain.

The UN General Assembly decided in March 2025 to extend the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition by five years to 2030 – FAO will continue to co-convene the Decade together with the World Health Organization (WHO), ensuring continued efforts and a renewed commitment.

In 2024, FAO marked the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Right to Food Guidelines with themed events at the World Food Forum.

As part of the commemoration, FAO launched a refreshed version of the guidelines, along with the report Realizing the Right to Food in a changing world.

Geographical Indications (GIs) contribute to transforming agrifood systems worldwide and in 2024, together with partners, we developed a roadmap towards sustainability of GIs.

FAO continues to advance innovation through the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative.

By the end of 2024, 91 countries joined OCOP, with 50 special agricultural products supported by over USD 20 million in investments.

In over 70 countries, we are scaling up sustainable mechanization and conservation agriculture,

And in over 50 countries, we’re deploying drones, robotics, and precision farming technologies.

We have also invested over USD 2 billion in seed systems and crop diversity—reaching over 30 countries.

We have strengthened global plant health including through:

• The ePhyto digital solutions adopted in 136 countries;
• Pest management training underway in over 60 countries;
• Virtual reality tools being used for locust control; and
• Over 50 countries now benefit from better fertilizer and pesticide management.

As part of this year’s World Food Forum, we will hold the first-ever FAO Global Exhibition: From Seeds to Foods, which will trace the journey across agrifood systems value chains - where seeds symbolize the origin of our agrifood systems across crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries.

On financing, in 2024, FAO advanced this work by spotlighting the urgent need for innovative financing to combat hunger and malnutrition.

The report provided critical recommendations for reforming the global food security financing architecture and introduced new methods for tracking and measuring financing flows.

These efforts have influenced major international agendas, including the 2024 UN Summit of the Future and the 2025 Conference on Financing for Development.

Moreover, FAO moved from design to action through the reform of the FAO Investment Center and the Hand-in-Hand initiative.

Hand-in-Hand Investment plans are guided by spatial analysis to understand where and what type of investment are the most relevant to address specific needs of particular areas in countries.

Hand-in-Hand committed and under negotiation investment has grown from USD 1.5 billion in 2022 to USD 4.5 billion in 2024.

The FAO has made significant strides in addressing the hidden costs of agrifood systems through its State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) reports.

By pioneering the use of "true cost accounting" FAO has brought global attention to the often-overlooked economic, environmental and health-related burdens embedded in agrifood systems—estimated at over USD 10 trillion annually.

FAO has significantly advanced its foresight capabilities to support long-term strategic planning and programming across agrifood systems, benefiting FAO’s programming by enhancing strategic preparedness, enabling early detection of risks, and informing evidence-based policy and investment decisions.

It continues to inform the Mid-Term Review of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and during the Regional Ministerial Conferences in 2024, it provided new instruments to guide policy makers in an ever-changing global environment, focused on triggers for change and identifying different priorities across various regions.

FAO continues to provide the best analytical tools combined with foresight, macro, meso- and micro-economic geospatial data to guide our strategies, policies and investments.

Investment plans are guided by spatial analysis to understand where and what type of investment are the most relevant to address specific needs of particular areas in countries.

The FAO Global Roadmap launched in 2023, is an evidence-based, country-led action framework that aims to catalyze collective efforts toward creating productive, economically viable, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable agrifood systems, and promoting the Four Betters.

Through its pragmatic, non-prescriptive framework, it effectively supports policy coherence and stakeholder dialogue, and enhances FAO’s visibility and leadership in making concrete the Just Transformation for agrifood systems.

In line with FAO’s mandate, we continue to focus on addressing hunger and malnutrition by accelerating impactful policies and actions across agrifood systems to enable healthy diets for all.

Launched under Brazil’s G20 Presidency, FAO reaffirms its commitment to host the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.

The Global Alliance is a collaborative platform that brings together international partners to support country-led efforts to transform agrifood systems, end hunger, and reduce poverty. It focuses on mobilizing coordinated financing, fostering inclusive partnerships—including through South–South and Triangular Cooperation—and delivering technical assistance aligned with national priorities.

The support mechanism, hosted at FAO, will coordinate efforts against hunger and inequality with a strong emphasis on social protection, school meals programs, but also in transforming the agrifood systems.

Our evidence work will also support this mechanism. For example, in 2024, FAO published The Unjust Climate, a groundbreaking report, that measures how heat stress, floods, droughts and rising temperatures disproportionately impact rural poor, particularly women and youth. This will support the better targeting of social protection programs.

Building on the momentum of The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems report published in 2023, FAO secured public, private and international partnerships that will align efforts with the Commit to Grow Equality initiative, and will host the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026.

On Thursday, we will launch the report on the Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems, presenting cutting-edge knowledge and evidence on how youth engage with, benefit from, and contribute to agrifood systems on a global scale.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

All the work we do relies on the best available tools—ranging from foresight and statistical data, geospatial information to cutting-edge analytical platforms.

On the cross-cutting issue of statistics and data, we have recently taken concrete steps to streamline statistical functions, improve coordination, investing particularly in data quality and improved efficiencies.

Over the past four years, FAO statistics have, among others:

• released several new FAOSTAT data domains;
• produced new data and knowledge platforms to accelerate implementation of PPAs;
• deployed a wide range of capacity development programmes and activities such as the Global Strategy to Improve Agriculture and Rural Statistics, the 50-by-2030 Initiative and the World Census of Agriculture Programme; and
• successfully led the creation of a new food security and nutrition data domain under the Statistical Commission.
  

FAO has intensified its commodity market monitoring and analysis work that has established the Organization as a global point of reference.

As part of this effort, the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), hosted by FAO, has been repeatedly praised by G20 leaders, and often discussed as a model to be replicated for other sectors.

FAO’s flagship report The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) 2024 report focused on the interlinkages between trade and nutrition and healthy diets, while the next edition in 2026 will discuss the topic of global markets and trade resilience and food security.

FAO continued supporting the G20 process by providing technical support to the Presidency of Brazil in 2024 and the Presidency of South Africa in 2025, with the aim to promote a more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable global agrifood system.

This year, FAO is supporting South Africa in its G20 Presidency, and we look forward to working with the United States of America during its upcoming G20 Presidency in 2026.

Over the past biennium, the Organization’s proactive engagement in agenda-setting forums - from the High-level Political Forum, UN General Assembly, G20 and COPs negotiations, to the AU–EU Partnership and the SIDS Action Platform - has ensured that agrifood systems transformation now sits squarely at the center of the global sustainable-development debate.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

After six years of consecutive growth in Official Development Assistance, many governments now face increasing fiscal pressure.

With Members’ support, we have broadened our funding base, particularly with vertical funds and international financial institutions that many of you also support.

While we are still managing current cuts and reductions, we know that 2026 and 2027 will demand new thinking and renewed engagement with donors and partners.

I am pleased with our collective efforts in resource mobilization, and of the highest level of transparency we have reached on our funding flows. 

And our Transparency Portal has been improved to also include budget and human resources data.

To realize the Four Betters, governments and partners must unlock trillions in investment.

Public finance must act as a catalyst to crowd in responsible private investment,

Bridging the funding gap, while addressing barriers that limit private sector growth, particularly for smallholders and agri-SMEs.

Through our revamped FAO Investment Centre we are intensifying efforts to scale up high-quality public and private investments.

Working in around 120 countries, the Centre acts as a bridge between governments, financial institutions and the private sector, to increase financing flows and de-risk agrifood investments through knowledge, innovation and expertise.

On the strategic investment planning and policy front, the FAO Investment Centre has contributed to agricultural strategies, sector and policy studies and policy dialogue in 92 countries in 2024 – these include 14 Pacific SIDS.

From 2024 to June 2025, FAO supported the design of 65 public investment projects approved by international financial institutions in 46 FAO member countries - for an investment value of USD 9 billion.

This work also included developing financing proposals to accelerate access to climate finance to reduce climate vulnerabilities.

FAO continues to explore new frontiers and build strategic partnerships. For instance, the new TERRA programme, combining the strengths of FAO, the Italian Development Bank CDP and the European Union, will help local financial institutions increase financing to agrifood SMEs in Africa.

Ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, FAO published Financing Food for a Better Future, a report that analyses the agrifood systems financing landscape and offers recommendations for preventing and mitigating food crises.

In addition, and to also better guide policies and investment at country level considering externalities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), continue to face unique and compounded challenges in transforming their agrifood systems.

FAO continues to demonstrate its commitment to these countries, recognizing their acute vulnerabilities and unique challenges in achieving food security and sustainable development – while also acknowledging their immense potential.

This commitment is deeply embedded in FAO's Strategic Framework and evidenced by concrete actions, including the establishment of a dedicated Office for SIDS, LDCs, and LLDCs – a pioneering initiative within the UN system –guided by the Four Betters.

FAO will participate at the UN Food System Summit+4 this year, which is an important opportunity to maintain the momentum on agrifood systems transformation.

The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, hosted by FAO, plays a catalytic role in supporting and driving forward the outcomes of the Summit, and reflects FAO's recognized leadership in the UN system, and its trusted role in advancing agrifood systems transformation.

The now annual Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum has proven to be a key global event for the unique platform as it provides an opportunity for both Members and investors to engage and match-making in the government-led agrifood investments.

With the increasing demand for Hand-in-Hand rollout from Members, the 176th Session of the FAO Council in December 2024 recommended additional resources be allocated for it.

The next Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum will be the largest event ever, with 30 countries and six regional/sub-regional initiatives programmed to present their prioritized agrifood investments during the World Food Forum in October 2025.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The FAO Procurement Service is undergoing a strategic transformation to become a key enabler of the Organization’s programme of work and main achievements include the progressive delegation of authority to decentralized offices, strengthened risk management and internal controls, and enhanced procurement capacity in the field.

A major restructuring is modernizing procurement practices, rushing digitalization, and introducing a category management approach to better align capacity with operational needs.

These reforms are driving greater efficiency, accountability, and impact across the Organization.

FAO has made efforts to advance the professional and strategic alignment of its logistics function by establishing a dedicated Logistics Unit in July 2024.

The Unit is streamlining operations and shaping a long-term vision and strategy for a robust, fit-for-purpose Supply Chain Management system.

Donor countries have shown great interest in upgrading or creating better hybrid meeting rooms, increasing FAO effectiveness to connect offices worldwide.

At the same time, we continue to provide technical support to Country Offices to increase their resilience by among others implementing solar systems.

In view of the 80th Anniversary of the Organization, the FAO headquarter premises are being refurbished with the aim of doubling the green areas by constructing a multi-level parking lot and a new Entrance Pavilion, to meet the highest green standards and friendly working environment.

In alignment with its mandate to enable FAO operations globally, over the past two years the FAO Security Service has undertaken critical initiatives to ensure the Organization ability to deliver mission and programs within a safe and secure environment, including through the:

• Strategic transition towards a unified, digital, security working environment;
• Enhancement of emergency preparedness and crisis response; and
• Expanded Field Support.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the last two years, FAO has catalyzed and strengthened a rich portfolio of strategic partnerships, with a focus on transformative partnerships, helping us drive impact and lasting change.

In 2023, we renewed our partnership with the Rome-based Agencies (RBAs), and together, we are committed to strengthening resilience and collaboratively transforming agrifood systems.

FAO continues to advocate for the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems.

Our recent work includes coordination of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, a strategic think-tank pioneering innovative ways to co-create knowledge with Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts,

Through education, which provides the building blocks for the partnerships of the future, FAO is empowering students and professionals with the skills they need to build a foods-secure world.

The FAO e-Learning Academy offers more than 800 multilingual certified courses, free to all, and has reached over one million learners.

Last year, the FAO Four Betters Courses initiative was introduced, collaborating with educational institutions worldwide to integrate our certified courses into university curricula, aligned with the Four Betters.

This year, as we celebrate FAO’s 80th anniversary, we also mark a major milestone for our operations: 20 years of the Global Shared Services Centre located in Budapest.

With the generous support of the Government of Hungary, the Centre was one of the earliest examples within the UN system of a forward-looking approach to administrative excellence, enabling FAO to deliver better services.

With a global footprint and a “follow-the-sun” model providing 20-hour daily coverage, the Centre combines operational resilience with a spirit of continuous improvement, delivering responsive support across time zones and striving to do better every day.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030 provides a solid, objective-driven vision reflecting FAO’s firm commitment to collaboration and transformative action to build healthier, more sustainable aquatic food systems.

The endorsement of the FAO Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, the 50th anniversary of the EAF Nansen Programme, the expanded coverage of the Port States Measures Agreement, and the Common Oceans Programme, are some examples of FAO’s impact in support of policies in the high seas.

At the 3rd UN Ocean Conference held in Nice, France, earlier this month, FAO actively contributed to advancing the goal of accelerating and mobilizing action to conserve and sustainably use the Ocean and its resources.

This included proposing voluntary commitments valued at approximately USD 275 million, as well as participating in over 60 events with a strong delegation that I led personally.

FAO co-organized nearly half of these events, underscoring its leadership and engagement.

Overall, FAO took part in 77 events during the Ocean Conference, between plenary, Ocean Action Panels, and side events, of which we co-organized 30.

One of the key highlights was the launch of the FAO 2025 Review of World Fishery Marine Resources, the most comprehensive and participatory evaluation ever conducted on the state of the world’s marine fish stocks.

It draws on the expertise of 650 experts from 90 countries and 200 entities, covering nearly 2,600 fish stocks across all FAO major fishing areas.

FAO has helped to put agrifood systems at the heart of the multilateral climate, biodiversity, and environmental agendas with the central message that investing in the transformation of agrifood systems is critical for achieving global climate, biodiversity, and land degradation goals.

On climate, the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation Partnership has matured as the most consistent COP-to-COP mechanism working with all COP Presidencies since COP27.

On biodiversity, in 2024 FAO launched the Agrifood National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans Initiative to support countries in developing and implementing National Biodiversity Plans that prioritize agrifood sectors.

FAO has also scaled up support to countries and rural communities in translating international commitments into national actions through adopting sustainable and resilient agricultural practices.

FAO has been entrusted by Members to support them in accessing record levels of climate and environment finance for agrifood systems with a current portfolio amounting to USD 3.4 billion and covering more than 100 countries.

This year FAO will acknowledge the designation of the 100th Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) site, celebrating the program’s role in showcasing traditional, sustainable and pragmatic solutions for agrifood systems to benefit local communities.

Three hundred cities currently benefit from technical assistance, knowledge management and awareness-raising through the FAO Green Cities Initiative, which will host the International Green Cities Conference in October 2025, to accelerate action on sustainable urban development and well-being of a growing urban population.

FAO continues to advance global recognition of the importance of forests for food security, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods, particularly through the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme and this year’s International Day of Forests, with its theme of forests and foods.

Through programmes such as the Forest and Farm Facility, FAO works with partners to deliver finance directly to producer organizations representing millions of smallholder farmers and foresters, including Indigenous Peoples.

With the ever-growing global threat of wildfires, in 2023 FAO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the Global Fire Management Hub.

And two weeks ago, we hosted the first Global Fire Management Hub Plenary, bringing together fire experts, practitioners and policymakers to share knowledge and perspectives and strengthen collective action on wildfires.

Our work in food safety has directly impacted billions of lives, positioning FAO as the global leader in fostering food safety to safeguard public health, while facilitating fair trade practices worldwide.

The 47th Codex Alimentarius Commission marked historic achievements with 188 Member Countries adopting over 200 food safety provisions, including groundbreaking Guidelines for Traditional Markets.

The new Codex Strategic Plan for 2026–2031 recognizes the need to develop standards responsive to an evolving global landscape, promote engagement and apply integrated models such as One Health.

World Food Safety Day 2024 achieved exceptional reach with 500+ events across 139 countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Transforming Livestock to drive global impact remains a key focus of the Organization.

Over the past two years, FAO has led a series of global firsts:

• FAO hosted the first Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation,
• The first Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators,
• The first International Forum for Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination, and
• The first Global Conference on Animal Health Innovation, Vaccine, and Reference Centers.

We also launched the Global Strategy for Avian Influenza 2024–2033 and accelerated efforts to eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants by 2030.

A Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation is now taking shape, guided by Members.

To mark and track progress, we will host the Second Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation and the Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators in the second half of 2025

FAO continues supporting Members implement One Health in Agrifood Systems, delivering pandemic prevention, tackling antimicrobial resistance and connecting health across people, animals, plants, and ecosystems.

Through 33 Pandemic Fund projects in 42 countries, we are strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, and animal health workforces worth USD 170 million, with an additional USD 500 million in the Fund’s third round this year.

As the 2025 Chair of the Quadripartite, FAO is embedding One Health into agrifood systems.

From the COP28 Pathways Toward Lower Livestock Emissions to a groundbreaking report on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, FAO is linking livestock, climate, and sustainability.

Our Emergency Management and Rapid Response Systems for Animal Diseases continue to help countries fight devastating transboundary animal diseases.

We trained over 20,000 professionals – 46 percent women - through Farmer Field Schools and Virtual Learning Centre.

We will soon launch two Global Hubs: the One Health Knowledge and Innovation Hub and Sustainable Livestock Transformation Innovation Hub.

In October 2024, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre celebrated its 60th Anniversary, which underscores the remarkable successes achieved by the Centre over the past six decades.

Our long-standing strategic partnership is a leading example of interagency cooperation across the UN system.

Our joint Atoms4Food Initiative provides Members with tailored country specific support in line with key changes and needs, building on a country assessment.

To date, EUR 9 million has been pledged to Atomes4Food by donor countries and private companies. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past biennium, FAO has made substantial strides in advancing science and innovation to support agrifood systems transformation. Anchored in its three strategic pillars—Digital Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Farmer Field Schools - FAO has led innovative initiatives that prioritize sustainability, inclusion, and resilience.

The Digital Villages Initiative now spans over 60 countries, providing rural communities with access to digital advisory services, market linkages, and e-governance tools.

While Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs are strengthening local ecosystems, especially for women and youth agripreneurs.

A key milestone was the development of the Digital Agriculture and AI Innovation Roadmap, setting a global path forward for the responsible use of AI in agrifood systems.

In the area of biotechnology, FAO reaffirmed its leadership by convening the Global Agrifood Biotechnologies Conference in June 2025, which highlighted the crucial role of biotechnology in addressing the Four Betters, while promoting equitable access and inclusive governance.

On the grassroots front, the Farmer Field Schools programme continued to serve as a foundation for community-led innovation.

Since 2022, three editions of the Science and Innovation Forum have been held under the umbrella of the World Food Forum, each advancing dialogue and collaboration on science and innovation in agrifood systems.

The third edition, held in 2024, focused on “Inclusive Science and Innovation for Agrifood Systems Transformation, Leaving No One Behind” and explored the key themes of biotechnologies, digital agriculture, and community-driven innovations.

Planning is now underway for the fourth edition, centered on the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”.

To further support the global innovation ecosystem, FAO is preparing to launch the Agrifood Systems Technologies and Innovations Outlook (ATIO) at the Science and Innovation Forum 2025, alongside the upgraded Science, Technology, and Innovation Portal.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

FAO undertook a review of the Strategic Framework 2022-31, attesting to our commitment to take account of lessons learned and evolution of challenges in the external environment to recalibrate the Organization’s response. 

Our programmes continue to be guided by the key triggers of change identified through the Corporate Strategic Foresight Exercise:

• governance,
• consumer awareness,
• income and wealth distribution, and
• innovation.

We have updated our results framework to meet the emerging challenges and needs affecting agrifood systems and included baselines and milestones to strengthen accountability.

Steadfast in our commitment to value-for-money, efficiency and effectiveness and embracing new ways of working, alternative modalities for delivering the programme of work for the coming biennium were considered.

Therefore, in the Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) 2026-27, we are proposing a reduction of USD 29 million in costs, reducing the number of budgeted posts, while protecting critical areas and core competencies.

This has allowed reallocating resources to strategic investments in key priorities such as Codex, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), plant production and protection, and food security and nutrition.

We strengthened our commitment to efficiency focusing on cost savings, time savings and effectiveness improvement.

Efficiencies achieved and related key performance indicators will continue to be reported to Members regularly.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Strengthening FAO’s Global Visibility and Communications Impact has continued to strengthen over the past six years.

Since 2019, international media coverage of FAO has increased substantially, highlighting the Organization’s growing relevance in global discourse.

To further enhance strategic and impactful communication across the Organization, in 2024 FAO launched:

• a new communications coordination unit to foster integration and a united “One FAO" messaging;
• the FAO Knowledge Repository;
• an enhanced Open Access Policy aligned with FAO's Open Data policy; and
• developed guidance and training on the responsible use of AI in communications and publishing.

Digital engagement continues to break records and in 2024, the FAO website received over 98 million pageviews, and by mid-2025, it has already surpassed 50 million.

On social media, FAO has now surpassed 10 million followers, reaching over 1.4 billion people across platforms.

This expanding digital footprint plays a critical role in advancing the FAO Strategic Framework and promoting sustainable agrifood systems in all official languages.

Since FAO's 80th anniversary launched during World Food Day 2024, events around the world are marking FAO’s 80th anniversary throughout 2025.

Be it in Kyrgyzstan where FAO is planting 80 hectares of fruit trees and forest on degraded pastures; or through exhibitions and campaigns in Chile, Ghana, Italy, or Vietnam, FAO offices are demonstrating through actions and best practices how the Organization stands ready to continue to work alongside its Members and partners to help achieve a foods-secure world for all, for today and tomorrow.

This year on 16 October - World Food Day – we will be inaugurating a special new educational experience: the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network.

This initiative made possible thanks to the support of Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will bring greater visibility to FAO's mandate.

Last year, we welcomed over 16,000 visitors to FAO headquarters, and the Museum and Network will build on this outreach by providing a permanent, accessible space where FAO can engage with the public – both a physical space and a digital one. 

To further enhance the efficiency of internal processes, the review of the FAO Administrative Manual is underway, including a review to address relevant recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit’s Review of Management and Administration (JIU-MAR).

The inaugural Treaty Ceremony, taking place later today, celebrates the normative and multilateral nature of our Organization, and the efforts of its Members to achieve meaningful progress through tools of international law, addressing a wide range of areas within FAO’s mandate.

Furthermore, a series of important initiatives have been implemented in the legal sphere, including:

• Publication of a new version of the FAO Methodology to analyze AMR-relevant legislation in the agrifood sector;
• Leading the analysis of legal and policy frameworks for disaster risk reduction and management in 15 countries;
• Development of diagnostic tools and methodologies; and
• Launching the ACE Programme to strengthen the legal and institutional capacity for implementation, compliance, and enforcement of national agrifood systems laws.

It has been a productive biennium of the Office of Evaluation, with 89 completed evaluations.

In 2023, the Office also launched a major transformation to align more closely with the FAO Strategic Framework.

The Office of the Inspector General has continued to play a pivotal role in advancing accountability and transparency across the Organization.

Its efforts have emphasized clarifying roles and responsibilities and strengthening coordination mechanisms for performance and compliance monitoring, risk management, and the promotion of integrity.

Collectively, the Ombuds Office, the Ethics Office and the Office of the Inspector General have actively contributed to identifying and addressing workplace environment concerns, including abusive conduct.

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We stand at a unique inflection point.

We can continue speaking about overlapping and complex challenges, or we can change the rhetoric to one of hope and opportunity.

We are standing amidst unprecedented potential.

Breakthroughs in science, digital tools, and sustainable practices offer pathways we could not have imagined just a few years ago.

This Conference is our opportunity to harness this momentum – to transform 'what if' into 'how we can'.

To build agrifood systems that nourish every person, protect our precious planet, and empower communities for generations to come.

Let this 44th Session be remembered as the moment we saw hope amid difficulties, and we collectively chose a positive approach, with forward thinking and real multilateralism.

Never give up until our mission is accomplished!

Thank you.