Bilateral meeting with H.E. Annie Genevard, Minister for Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of France

Rome - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with H.E. Annie Genevard, Minister for Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of France on the margins of the AU-EU Agriculture Ministerial Meeting hosted at FAO Headquarters in advance of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference.

The Director-General welcomed the Minister and expressed appreciation for France’s enduring commitment as a founding member of FAO. He acknowledged France’s strong support for multilateralism and its trust in FAO’s mandate at a time of growing global challenges to food security.

The Minister reaffirmed France’s support to FAO and outlined the country’s strategic priorities, including food sovereignty, sustainability, and resilience. She emphasized that sovereignty is a call for stability and security in agrifood systems, which includes the role of trade. She further noted that France’s national strategic plan promotes agroecological and sustainable agricultural models, and highlighted the importance of supporting farmers both structurally and financially and underscored the role of science and innovation in agricultural transformation. She referred to France’s robust network of agricultural research institutions and extension services and expressed interest in further deepening cooperation with FAO to foster inclusive rural transformation globally.

The Director-General commended France’s leadership in promoting sustainable agrifood systems and its emphasis on innovation and knowledge-sharing and expressed gratitude for France’s active engagement in FAO’s initiatives.

The Director-General highlighted the importance of the World Food Forum (WFF), which takes place annually at FAO headquarters in Rome every October, as a global platform for dialogue and innovation, and welcomed the contributions of France to its success. He also acknowledged France’s technological advancements as a model for other countries.

The Director-General emphasized the importance of strategic dialogue and called for timely and well-prepared high-level meetings to strengthen collaboration. He also referred to FAO’s active participation in the recent UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France, particularly in the areas of fisheries regulation, the Port State Measures Agreement, aquaculture and the presentation of the The Review of the state of world marine fishery resources - 2025.

Both parties agreed on the need for global cooperation to address transboundary challenges such as plant and animal diseases and environmental degradation. In this regard, the Director-General stressed the importance of maintaining FAO’s budget to ensure the continuity of its core work.

The Minister concluded by thanking the Director-General for his continued focus on youth, women, science, and technology, and reiterated France’s commitment to reinforcing the links between its experts and FAO’s work.