Bilateral meeting with the Yokohama City Mayor, Takeharu Yamanaka

Rome - The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, had a bilateral meeting with Takeharu Yamanaka, Yokohama City Mayor, at FAO Headquarters.

The Director-General welcomed Yokohama City Mayor, Takeharu Yamanaka, expressing his appreciation for Yokohama's support in hosting the FAO Liaison office in Japan since 1997. Stressing the invaluable cooperation between FAO and the Japanese government, the Director-General underscored the pivotal role of this partnership.

The Mayor Yamanaka thanked the Director-General for the reception and highlighted the crucial need to bolster collaboration between FAO and Yokohama City's agricultural sectors, particularly focusing on enhancing soil health, water management, and food supply. 

Commending Yokohama City for its remarkable endeavors, including successfully establishing the phosphorus recovery facility to transform sewage sludge into fertilizer, the Director-General acknowledged the city's proactive efforts.

The Mayor then introduced the International Horticultural Expo 2027, a collaborative effort between the Japanese government and Yokohama City. The theme of GREENxEXPO 2027 aims to foster awareness and understanding of nature, plants, and the environment. 

In response, the Director-General lauded Yokohama City's commitment to ecological sustainability, noting it aligned with the objectives set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, and affirmed the Organization’s  readiness to contribute its wealth of expertise in forestry, land and water management, biodiversity, among others, in support of the EXPO.