Bilateral meeting with the Minister of Regional Affairs of the Republic of Estonia - H.E. Madis Kallas

Rome - Today the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and H.E. Madis Kallas Minister of Regional Affairs of Estonia met in Rome on the sidelines of the 43rd Session of the FAO Conference.

The Director-General recalled his meeting in September 2021 with the former President of Estonia, H.E. KerstiKaljulaid, where they discussed collaboration between FAO and Estonia in transforming agrifood systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets.

The Minister mentioned the impact that the pandemic, and now the war in Ukraine, are having on food supply chains.

The pair also discussed the proposal of the Government of Estonia to establish an International Year of Rye in 2025, in response to the reduced cultivation and commercialization of rye products, aiming to improve production efficiencies, research and development investments and food sector linkages.

The Minister also mentioned that this is the third consecutive year of drought in Estonia and that farmers have been adjusting their crop composition for years, as well as looking at sustainable grasslands management that provide the necessary fodder for animals. The pair also discussed ways to improve rural livelihoods and for FAO and Estonia to partner in this field.