In Uruguay, FAO Director-General lauds country’s stability and spirit of innovation in address to senior livestock sector representatives

Montevideo,Uruguay – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu praised Uruguay’s ability to distinguish itself as stable and forward-looking at an event hosted by the National Meat Institute (INAC).

He also underscored the country’s strategic partnership with FAO, noting that the Organization was committed to continuing providing all the technical support needed and to further strengthening cooperation.

The event was attended by Uruguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Lubetkin – a former FAO Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean – as well as the President of INAC, Gaston Scayola  and senior representatives from the livestock sector.

Uruguay has actively engaged in FAO’s global processes, including the FAO Global Conferences on Sustainable Livestock Transformation and the First Regional Conference for the Sustainable Transformation of Livestock in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Uruguay in 2024. That meeting called for balancing economic development, environmental sustainability and ecosystem preservation.

This year Uruguay’s international role is reflected in its co-leadership of the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 , a key initiative to raise awareness of the importance of rangelands for food security, climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.

Qu’s visit to Uruguay took place on the eve of the 39th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held in Brasilia. The Conference will bring together Ministers and senior officials from across the region to discuss priorities for accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals through the transformation of agrifood systems to achieve the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.