FAO Director-General visits newly renovated Joint FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu at the inauguration ceremony of new laboratories.
©IAEA/FAO/John Jobi Murickananickel
07/10/2025
Vienna - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu today visited the new Joint FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, and participated at the inauguration of the new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) facilities under the Renovation of the Nuclear Application Laboratories (ReNuAL) initiative.
The Plant Breeding and Genetics Laboratory focuses on developing high-yield and resilient crop varieties through nuclear science and associated biotechnologies. The laboratories and climate-controlled chambers support precision in plant breeding, integrating modern biotechnologies with mutation breeding for vegetatively propagated and perennial crops. Fully equipped molecular biology labs with enhanced capabilities for marker development for accelerated trait development ensure seed purity and quality, strengthening seed systems in member countries.
The new state-of-the-art greenhouses are designed for precise environmental control and rapid crop growth. They play a key role in developing climate-smart agricultural practices and improving water management.
The FAO Director-General emphasized that the upgrades to both equipment and infrastructure have ensured that these facilities remain fit-for-purpose and enable the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture to expand cutting-edge support for stakeholders.
“It is a model of how science and innovation can be harnessed to support our member countries in addressing global challenges in the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” QU said.
“More than a renovation, it’s a launchpad for discovery, collaboration, and sustainable development,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said, adding that the facilities will “advance science and use the lifesaving power of the atom to improve food and agriculture, healthcare, and environmental protection for the benefit of everyone.”
The greenhouse facilities allow the safe use of radioactive tracers to study how efficiently plants use nutrients such as phosphorus and to better understand the movement of contaminants in soil and crops. In addition, the greenhouses will allow for simulation experiments to investigate the impacts of the climate crisis on food safety, studying the potential uptake and distribution of heavy metals in crops and the risk of contamination of agricultural products with mycotoxins.
Other studies will explore the fate of pesticides after their application in crops, will track them over time, and will measure pesticide residue levels in crops and foods.
A prime example of inter-agency cooperation in the UN network, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre with its laboratories, leverages FAO’s agricultural expertise with the IAEA’s scientific and nuclear capabilities to deliver impactful solutions for Member countries.
Qu hailed the new facilities as the “cornerstone” of the collaboration and emphasized how they reinforce the importance of translating research into real-world impact through strengthened collaboration, training, and technology dissemination.
For more than six decades, the IAEA and FAO have shown what true partnership can achieve. Together, we bring science to the field, helping countries grow more resilient crops, protect livestock, and ensure food safety.” Gross said.
“FAO is committed to our long partnership with the IAEA and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, letting the people benefit from innovation,” added Qu. “This is a critical partnership. We are better together, leading deliverables in the UN family, serving our member countries.”
The FAO Director-General also emphasized the importance of the joint FAO-IAEA Atoms4Food Initiative launched in 2023, which aims to upscale the impact of the two UN Agencies technical support, taking the advantage of nuclear techniques along with conventional and advanced technologies, to provide Members with tailored and country specific solutions in an integrated and holistic manner.
Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture
Established in 1959 and later upgraded through the IAEA's ReNuAL initiative launched in 2014 to modernize nuclear application facilities, which also serve as training grounds for scientists and technicians from around the world.
Qu pointed to a variety of concrete examples, including:
- deployment of the Sterile Insect Technique to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly in the Dominican Republic, thereby safeguarding the country’s fruit production and exports.
- using cosmic ray neutron sensor technology to help scientists in Bolivia track snow accumulation and glacier retreat, vital for understanding water availability trends to support highland farming communities and to develop climate adaptation strategies.
- helping develop new sorghum varieties with resistance to striga, a parasitic plant that causes significant crop damage in Burkina Faso and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Joint Centre is also coordinating, via the VetLab network, in helping Members bolster their transboundary animal disease surveillance systems, as well as to track food samples to prevent fraud and comply with international trade standards.
The Plant Breeding and Genetics Laboratory focuses on developing high-yield and resilient crop varieties through nuclear science and associated biotechnologies. The laboratories and climate-controlled chambers support precision in plant breeding, integrating modern biotechnologies with mutation breeding for vegetatively propagated and perennial crops. Fully equipped molecular biology labs with enhanced capabilities for marker development for accelerated trait development ensure seed purity and quality, strengthening seed systems in member countries.
The new state-of-the-art greenhouses are designed for precise environmental control and rapid crop growth. They play a key role in developing climate-smart agricultural practices and improving water management.
The FAO Director-General emphasized that the upgrades to both equipment and infrastructure have ensured that these facilities remain fit-for-purpose and enable the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture to expand cutting-edge support for stakeholders.
“It is a model of how science and innovation can be harnessed to support our member countries in addressing global challenges in the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” QU said.
“More than a renovation, it’s a launchpad for discovery, collaboration, and sustainable development,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said, adding that the facilities will “advance science and use the lifesaving power of the atom to improve food and agriculture, healthcare, and environmental protection for the benefit of everyone.”
The greenhouse facilities allow the safe use of radioactive tracers to study how efficiently plants use nutrients such as phosphorus and to better understand the movement of contaminants in soil and crops. In addition, the greenhouses will allow for simulation experiments to investigate the impacts of the climate crisis on food safety, studying the potential uptake and distribution of heavy metals in crops and the risk of contamination of agricultural products with mycotoxins.
Other studies will explore the fate of pesticides after their application in crops, will track them over time, and will measure pesticide residue levels in crops and foods.
A prime example of inter-agency cooperation in the UN network, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre with its laboratories, leverages FAO’s agricultural expertise with the IAEA’s scientific and nuclear capabilities to deliver impactful solutions for Member countries.
Qu hailed the new facilities as the “cornerstone” of the collaboration and emphasized how they reinforce the importance of translating research into real-world impact through strengthened collaboration, training, and technology dissemination.
For more than six decades, the IAEA and FAO have shown what true partnership can achieve. Together, we bring science to the field, helping countries grow more resilient crops, protect livestock, and ensure food safety.” Gross said.
“FAO is committed to our long partnership with the IAEA and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, letting the people benefit from innovation,” added Qu. “This is a critical partnership. We are better together, leading deliverables in the UN family, serving our member countries.”
The FAO Director-General also emphasized the importance of the joint FAO-IAEA Atoms4Food Initiative launched in 2023, which aims to upscale the impact of the two UN Agencies technical support, taking the advantage of nuclear techniques along with conventional and advanced technologies, to provide Members with tailored and country specific solutions in an integrated and holistic manner.
Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture
Established in 1959 and later upgraded through the IAEA's ReNuAL initiative launched in 2014 to modernize nuclear application facilities, which also serve as training grounds for scientists and technicians from around the world.
Qu pointed to a variety of concrete examples, including:
- deployment of the Sterile Insect Technique to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly in the Dominican Republic, thereby safeguarding the country’s fruit production and exports.
- using cosmic ray neutron sensor technology to help scientists in Bolivia track snow accumulation and glacier retreat, vital for understanding water availability trends to support highland farming communities and to develop climate adaptation strategies.
- helping develop new sorghum varieties with resistance to striga, a parasitic plant that causes significant crop damage in Burkina Faso and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Joint Centre is also coordinating, via the VetLab network, in helping Members bolster their transboundary animal disease surveillance systems, as well as to track food samples to prevent fraud and comply with international trade standards.