Bilateral meeting with H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil

Rome – FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, met today with His Excellency Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, on the sidelines of the World Food Forum 2025 taking place at FAO headquarters from 13 to 17 October 2025.

The Director-General welcomed President Lula, praising the enduring partnership between FAO and Brazil.  He mentioned three core areas of cooperation in which Brazil has played a distinctive and leading role: the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, the South-South and Triangular Cooperation agenda, and the World Food Forum. The Director-General reiterated the Organization's commitment to the Global Alliance and thanked President Lula for Brazil's support in empowering women and young people, and in promoting science and innovation in line with FAO's corporate initiatives.

President Lula thanked the Director-General, declaring that Brazil is determined to maintain its full support for the shared goals of ending hunger and poverty. He highlighted FAO’s role in providing high-quality technical assistance to improve food production and distribution. He said that poverty and hunger should be tackled comprehensively, as socioeconomic and political problems, and that governments should make a strong commitment to ending them effectively. He then stated that Brazil is determined to engage further with FAO as a technical organization to help realize its mandate. President Lula also mentioned his country’s constant efforts to prioritize ending hunger in discussions at international forums such as the G20 and BRICS, as well as his own efforts in this regard during bilateral dialogues with leaders across the world.

Both parties agreed that leadership, investment, efficient organization, and technical capacity are essential for transforming agrifood systems. They committed to scaling up the joint work of FAO and Brazil towards this goal, ensuring that no one is left behind.

In addition to the bilateral meeting, President Lula joined the Director-General for the inauguration of the offices of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty Support Mechanism and to the Global Alliance's Board of Champions session, both of which took place at FAO headquarters today.