European Commission
Strategic Dialogue between FAO and the European Union
On 17 July 2026, FAO and the European Commission came together in Brussels for a Strategic Dialogue designed not only to take stock, but to look ahead. In a world marked by mounting geopolitical pressures, shifting development priorities and increasingly complex agrifood systems, the exchange underscored a clear message: informed choices require trusted data, sound science, sharp market intelligence and internationally recognized standards.
The Dialogue offered a timely opportunity to refresh the EU–FAO partnership and orient it toward a more focused, operational and investment-driven agenda. It reaffirmed the partnership’s continued relevance in advancing food and nutrition security, transforming agrifood systems, supporting climate and biodiversity goals, and promoting fair, transparent and rules-based trade.
The FAO delegation was led by Deputy Director-Generals Beth Bechdol and Maurizio Martina, together with Chief Economist Maximo Torero Cullen, while the EU delegation was headed by Koen Doens, Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission. Together, they explored how FAO’s technical depth, global standards, trusted data and strong country presence can help turn the European Union’s Global Gateway ambitions into high-impact investments on the ground.
Throughout the discussion, the EU–FAO partnership was framed as a practical engine for action: one that connects global expertise with country realities, bridges emergency response and long-term resilience, and links policy ambition with implementation capacity. Participants emphasized that, in an increasingly fragmented world, strong multilateral cooperation remains essential to deliver solutions at scale.
The EU reaffirmed its strong commitment to multilateralism and recognized FAO’s distinctive role as a provider of norms, technical expertise, data and global public goods. At the same time, the discussion acknowledged that the multilateral system must continue to evolve, including through the UN80 process and broader efforts to improve efficiency, coherence and impact.
FAO’s comparative advantage emerged clearly: technical excellence, trusted evidence, standard-setting authority, market intelligence, country-level reach and the ability to connect immediate crisis response with longer-term transformation. These assets position FAO as a strategic partner for shaping investment readiness from the earliest stages, rather than simply supporting implementation once projects are already defined.
A central theme was the need to move beyond fragmented, project-by-project cooperation toward a more strategic institutional partnership. By engaging earlier in the design of investment opportunities, FAO can bring science, evidence, policy expertise and country knowledge to the table when choices matter most.
The Dialogue also opened concrete pathways for deeper collaboration, including in sustainable agrifood and blue food value chains, bioeconomy development, and support to countries facing fragility and crisis. These areas offer strong potential to combine EU investment capacity with FAO’s technical leadership and field-based experience.
The Strategic Dialogue concluded with a shared commitment to make the EU–FAO partnership more strategic, more operational and more results-oriented. By better connecting investment, policy and implementation, both partners aim to deliver lasting impact for people, economies and the environment.
