WASHINGTON — After attending the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77), QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) traveled to Washington, D.C. for high-level meetings, marking his first mission to the U.S. capital since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“FAO appreciates the long-standing partnership with the United States of America and the government’s commitment to FAO’s mandate on building efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind,” said the FAO Director-General. “Particularl
The United States is the single largest contributor to FAO’s emergencies and resilience programs and continues to be among the most significant voluntary contributors to FAO overall. This year, the U.S. government (USG) has already provided to FAO a total of $252 million in voluntary contributions. This is one of the highest levels of contributions FAO has ever received in one year, substantially exceeding the U.S. voluntary funding for all of 2021.
During the Washington mission, Director-General Qu met with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack. Among the many topics covered were the importance of science and innovation to agrifood systems, the central role of agriculture to mitigate climate change, and the urgent need to address global food insecurity. In all these areas, U.S. leadership in investment, science and diplomacy has been and will continue to be critical for progress.
Qu made the first visit ever by an FAO Director-General to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), meeting with Administrator Richard Spinrad. During this meeting, the urgent need to step up the protection of marine environments, combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, and boost investments in ocean science was discussed Both leaders agreed that the twin challenges of food security and environmental sustainability could be achieved with the right policies and technologies.
High-level consultations also took place with Juergen Voegele, Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank; Fayezul Choudhury, Chair of the Oversight Advisory Committee; U.S. Representative James P. McGovern, Co-Chair of House Hunger Caucus; and Ted McKinney, CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
Beyond his meetings, Qu took time while in the U.S. capital to visit two urban food systems. He visited the Urban Food Hub model run by the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences at the University of the District of Colombia (CAUSES) which provides access to fresh food to nearby communities. He also visited the USDA People’s Garden, an initiative to grow fresh, healthy food and support a resilient, local food system.
Prior to his mission in the U.S. capital, the Director-General visited drought-stricken Arizona with Ambassador Cindy McCain, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Rome, to see how data, innovation, governance and policy are central to generating sustainable solutions. Following the Washington, D.C. visit, Qu went to Leesburg, Indiana to meet with agriculture sector leaders to discuss innovative and digital solutions to transform global agrifood systems for food security, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration.
Rising global food crises and US Leadership
The Director-General’s visit comes at a time when conflict, economic shocks, and weather extremes are affecting the way we produce, supply, and consume our foods. The war in Ukraine is a compounding factor, impacting the current and future access and availability of food. Hunger levels, already unacceptably high, are climbing. Last year, 828 million people were chronically undernourished, an increase of 150 million people in the last two years.
To combat food security crises in the most hard-hit areas, the USG recently announced $220 million in additional voluntary funding to FAO to support emergency programs in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and the West Africa and Sahel regions. The funds are also helping FAO coordinate fertilizer and input procurement in Sri Lanka, and promote fertilizer efficiency in Guatemala, Honduras, and Zambia through soil mapping.
Investing in agriculture and rural livelihoods can make a significant difference in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Agricultural assistance, such as seed distribution and livestock care, has been proven to be seven to ten times more cost-effective than direct food assistance. Yet, as the Director-General pointed out, only eight percent of global food security funding in emergencies goes to assist agricultural production.
Longer-term, innovation will drive agrifood systems transformation. FAO with the support of the USG, is investing in database solutions and investments in resilience to help farmers to anticipate and prepare for disasters. The Data in Emergencies Hub was launched this year with the support of the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Aid. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently provided additional funding for the Agriculture Market Information System (AMIS) to add oilseeds and fertilizers to the inter-agency platform, critical inputs for policymakers considering the recent spikes in energy, fertilizer, and food prices.
–FAO