Results

The Private Sector Unit (PSUS) within the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ‎hosted a dynamic webinar to showcase the potential of private sector engagement, titled Seeds of Innovation: Partnering with Startups for Sustainable Agrifood Systems. The event spotlighted pioneering Japanese startups, AgVenture Lab, EF Polymer, and Faeger Co. Ltd., whose cutting-edge solutions are helping transform agrifood systems to be more resilient, inclusive and sustainable. Innovation in action Carlos Watson, Chief of the FAO Private Sector Unit, opened the session by emphasizing the importance of informal, collaborative engagement with startups: “These...

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – Queen Emma Chocolate is Papua New Guinea’s leading domestic cocoa processor and chocolate maker. For years, the company faced real constraints, including low production capacity, inconsistent cocoa bean supply from across the country, the persistent problem of smoke-tainted beans entering the factory, and limited overseas business ties. These issues did not only hold back the company; they also held back farmers and Papua New Guinea’s cocoa sector.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), through its Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) Germany, in collaboration with the Partnerships and UN Collaboration (PSU) and Plant Production and Protection (NSP) divisions, launched a two-day event “Private Sector Solutions for Food Security” at FAO headquarters. It aimed to foster dialogue and collaboration between European agrifood systems private sector actors and Rome-based UN agencies - FAO, World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to address food security and nutrition challenges. Carlos Watson, Chief of the Private Sector Engagement Unit of PSU, highlighted the value of FAO’s formalized partnerships...

During the FAO Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation held on 29 September 2025, FAO convened a dynamic Private Sector Forum that spotlighted the central role of companies in building more sustainable livestock systems worldwide. Setting the tone The Forum session was chaired by Carlos Watson, Chief of the FAO Private Sector Engagement Unit within the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU). He opened with a clear and compelling message: “Livestock is fundamentally a private enterprise. The responsibility for meaningful transformation ultimately lies with those who engage with animals and animal products every day – farmers, veterinarians, traders, processors and retailers, small,...

For decades, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has engaged with the International Dairy Federation (IDF) to advance a more sustainable, nutritious and resilient dairy sector through joint efforts in nutrition, livestock, climate change, food safety and the food standards development. Founded in 1903, IDF is a global non-profit and leading scientific authority in dairy, bringing together over 1000 dairy experts across 40 countries that produce two-thirds of the world’s milk production. Shared expertise driving impactThe IDF has long served as an observer to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, providing technical inputs to several Codex committees. Through this...