Unlocking FAO's Potential: Charting a Transformative Path for Global Food and AgricultureIn a pivotal moment for global development challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General, QU Dongyu, emphasized the need for partners to take a longer-term perspective. Addressing the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees, Qu highlighted the organization's efforts to elevate its visibility and centrality on a global scale, preparing for the future through strategic planning and concrete actions aligned with FAO's mandate.

Charting a Transformative Course for FAO

Strengthening the Strategic Framework and Embracing Collaborative Innovation

FAO is currently engaged in discussions with its members on three key guidance documents: the reviewed Strategic Framework 2022-31, the Medium-Term Plan 2026-29, and the Programme of Work and Budget 2026-27. Qu emphasized that the Strategic Framework 2022-31 has proven to be a solid foundation, while acknowledging FAO's commitment to being a "learning organization" that is open to thinking, learning, and working collaboratively with partners to build on lessons learned for even more effective collaboration in the future.The Director-General underscored the pivotal nature of this moment, stating that it will shape not only FAO's direction but also the future of global food and agriculture for years to come. Qu expressed the organization's aim to identify opportunities for scaling up its work and increasing its impact, while leveraging FAO's comparative advantages and incorporating strategic foresight insights on future trends and challenges.

Diversifying Funding and Strengthening Partnerships

Qu noted that FAO's resource mobilization is on track to be its third-highest ever, an impressive feat given that many key donor countries were in electoral cycles in 2024. The Director-General highlighted major achievements, such as the growth of FAO's Global Environment Facility (GEF) portfolio to $1.9 billion in grants and $13.4 billion in co-financing, supporting 141 countries.Furthermore, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) portfolio is now supporting 89 countries with investments worth $1.4 billion. Qu also mentioned sizable investments channeled through the FAO Investment Centre, the South-South and Triangular Cooperation approach, the One Country One Priority Product initiative, and the Hand-in-Hand initiative, which in October offered 115 investment cases worth $15 billion and facilitated more than 600 matchmaking meetings requested by investors with participating members.Qu highlighted the strengthening ties with the G7 and G20, including the latter's growing interest in aquaculture as a priority area for effective climate-friendly actions and collective support for fostering a more sustainable and resilient coffee value chain. He also welcomed the focus of Brazil and Italy on bringing food security back to the center of global discussions in the G20 and G7, respectively.

Delivering Impact on the Ground: Addressing Acute Food Insecurity

While signs of increasing support for development over emergency funding are welcome, FAO remains highly committed to delivering critical agricultural aid and assistance to farmers most affected by conflict. Qu noted that acute food insecurity is set to increase across more than 20 countries in the coming months, with Haiti, Mali, Palestine, South Sudan, and Sudan at the highest alert levels.The Director-General also highlighted that acute food insecurity in Afghanistan, where FAO leads a broad push to provide emergency agriculture assistance to complement humanitarian efforts, is on course to be at its lowest level in three years. Qu emphasized the critical role of FAO's network of Country Offices in driving impact on the ground and ensuring that they are professional, modern, flexible, agile, and responsive, which is a cornerstone of the Four Rs: Recover, Rebuild, and Reform for a Renaissance of FAO.

Driving Operational Efficiency and Workforce Optimization

The Director-General emphasized FAO's commitment to producing cost savings and efficiencies in all its operations, without compromising on quality and delivery. In this context, he referred to the expanded procurement process of the organization, which played a critical role in ensuring the effective delivery of FAO's programs, especially in emergency contexts, supported by a streamlined logistics function for sustainable supply chain management.Finally, Qu highlighted the critical role of the organization's workforce in delivering on its mandate, noting the efforts aimed at further streamlining the recruitment process and implementing a more targeted outreach strategy to further increase diversity and address gender parity.