JOINT MEETING OF THE PROGRAMME AND FINANCE COMMITTEES Opening Statement

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Colleagues,

Good morning. 

As always, I am pleased to address the Joint Meeting of the Programme and Finance Committees.

Let us take stock of where we stand:

One: 733 million people face chronic hunger – which is one in 11 persons globally, and one in 5 in Africa.

Two: 2.3 billion people experience food insecurity, while 2.8 billion lack access to healthy diets.

Conflict remains one of the greatest threats to food security.

Three: We urgently need collective and coherent action for transformative change to establish new business model for food availability, food accessibility and food affordability for all, and we have no time to waste.

Four: The change we need requires the urgent transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.

Five: As FAO Director-General, I am firmly committed to the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and to the Four Betters, endorsed by the FAO Ministerial Conference in 2021: better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

This has been my firm focus since I took office in 2019.

Six: The vision of the Four Betters leverages FAO's unique position as a UN specialized agency with an indispensable global role in addressing hunger and malnutrition, in line with our mandate.

Seven: We need to remain coherent and determined to our long-term vision for change, otherwise we will lose our direction. But we also need to change our business model in line with global evolvements.

 I told the FAO Townhall meeting last week that we need to change and adapt in line with changing funding. We need to mitigate by shifting our programme of work to minimize cuts. This is the process of evolution.

Eight: The path ahead is challenging with a lot of crises but also provides us with many opportunities.

And Nine: To convert these challenges into opportunities requires us to continue designing together, devoting together and contributing together with even stronger commitment to evidence-based innovation, strengthened partnerships, and transformative action that leaves no one behind.

Dear Colleagues,

The Medium-Term Plan (MTP) 2026-29 and Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) 2026-27 present a results-driven roadmap for operationalizing our strategic vision.

FAO’s evidence-based, programmatic approach enables us to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities as they arise, with a focus on high-impact initiatives that maximize return on investment.

In the 2026-27 biennium, the ongoing review of the Country Office structures will continue to ensure a modern and efficient network that supports countries in reaching their SDG targets and will further strengthen FAO’s global reach - working as ONE FAO.

Ensuring strategic alignment between decentralized offices and headquarters is key and the Second Global Working Conference of FAO Representatives, held in Bangkok last December, reaffirmed our commitment to think, learn and work together coherently as one big family, in line with our broader commitment to making FAO more responsive and more fit-for-purpose.

FAO remains committed to value for- inputs and operational efficiency, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively.

In preparing the budgetary proposal for 2026- 27, alternative modalities for delivering on our programme of work were considered, thereby reducing the number of budgeted posts.

Underlining my strong commitment to efficiency and effectiveness, the proposed reductions safeguard core competencies and protect delivery, especially in the key technical areas and deliverables at the country level.

For example, plant pests and diseases continue to cause significant damages with 40 percent of global food crop production lost each year and with an economic impact of USD 220 billion.

To strengthen FAO’s efforts in this area, I’ve increased the International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) PWB budget by USD 0.5 million.

This is a sign of our strong commitment to FAO’s normative work and will further enhance early warning systems and phytosanitary capacities at national and regional levels.

FAO will continue to actively work to demonstrate clear value and results to Members, while diversifying funding sources, developing innovative financing mechanisms and pursuing excellency in all its aspects.

In 2024, FAO mobilized USD 1.77 billion in voluntary contributions. This remains the third highest amount in FAO’s 80-year history, reflecting strong performance in a challenging global environment.

Development funding made up 63 percent of these contributions, with emergency funding accounting for 37 percent.

Global funding patterns are shifting, as bilateral partners reprioritize aid to address domestic challenges like inflation and debt crises.

FAO has navigated this shift effectively, thanks to our diversified partner base.

Funding from vertical funds, including the Global Environment Fund (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Pandemic Fund, has increased by 37 percent compared to the 2020–2023 average.

Multilateral development banks provided 18 percent of total funding in 2024.

Dear Colleagues,

Let me briefly touch on the evolving geopolitical situation that is impacting FAO’s programmes and projects.

Based on current trends, 2025 will likely pose significant resource mobilization challenges for the entire UN system.

Policy shifts in donor countries may lead to a smaller funding pool in 2025.

Every FAO Member has the right to determine the use of their taxpayer funds, which underscores the importance of a fit-for-purpose FAO.

We will continue advocating for FAO’s added value, comparative advantage, and strengthening our partnerships to ensure we can maintain our critical technical services, life-saving emergency projects and normative work.

In June 2024, we launched the FAO Transparency Portal and Project Dashboard, marking a major milestone in data accessibility and accountability. The Portal offers detailed, real-time insights into funding flows, resource allocation, and project implementation, setting a new standard for transparency and data-driven decision-making.

The drivers of acute hunger continue.

Just two weeks ago I met in Geneva with the heads of humanitarian agencies and NGOs during a day-long meeting of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Principals. We discussed how to ensure the most vulnerable receive urgent support, particularly in places like Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and others.

FAO’s unique role in providing emergency agricultural assistance helps communities exit hunger by stabilizing local food production and supplies at a fraction of the cost of food aid.

Dear Colleagues,

FAO continues to scale-up support to Members to fully integrate agrifood systems in their climate resilient plans and actions. FAO also continues to play a central role in accelerating countries’ access to climate finance.

The FAO-Green Climate Fund (GCF) partnership continues to grow serving 91 countries through 25 transformative projects, with two new projects valued at over USD 130 million approved by the GCF Board in February, to bolster climate resilience and achieve sustainable development.

The FAO-Global Environment Facility (GEF) partnership hit new heights with projects worth over USD 400 million approved in 2024. And we continue to deliver on these successes in 2025 with over 40 fully designed GEF projects for agrifood systems transformation, clean and healthy oceans, sustainable land and water management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable forest management submitted in February.

At the First G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting held in February, I commended South Africa’s Presidency for highlighting that food security is vital for peace, stability and human dignity.

I also reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, launched under the Brazilian G20 Presidency, which provides a coordinated mechanism to combat hunger and poverty.

Dear Colleagues,

The 2025 edition of the World Food Forum (WFF) aims to build on the achievements achieved in previous years, with expanded programmes and with a focus on increasing integration to scale-up impactful solutions, increased youth engagement, creating new investment opportunities, and with enhanced digital tools for participation in events and for matchmaking.

The 2025 WFF flagship event will be a historic milestone as it will mark FAO’s 80th Anniversary on World Food Day on 16 October, and will continue to showcase commitment to driving progress and sparking solutions to the world’s most pressing agrifood systems challenges, thereby amplifying the platform’s role as a catalyst for change.

On this occasion, FAO will also inaugurate the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network at Rome headquarters, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

In 2025, the WFF will continue engaging youth in agrifood governance spaces through the Youth Assembly.

This year’s Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum will showcase agrifood investment cases from 28 member countries and five regional initiatives, with a particular focus on increasing the participation of private sector investors.

Building on previous editions, the Science and Innovation Forum will invite more top-notch scientists and young scientists, and will join the FAO 80th Anniversary celebration by showcasing innovative solutions over the past eight decades to fight hunger and malnutrition, as well as look forward to emerging science, technologies and innovations to accelerate actions to tackle present and future agrifood systems challenges. 

Through the FAO Office of Innovation, we continue to advance biotechnology and in June this year we will host the International Biotechnology Conference, exploring biotechnology’s role in global agrifood transformation.

Dear Colleagues,

The Office of Evaluation completed 14 evaluations since we last met in November 2024. These evaluations are providing critical learning to help improve the FAO professional projects.

I remain committed to strengthening internal oversight and accountability at FAO. The recent restructuring of the Office of Investigation has led to further improvements in efficiency, while also enhancing value for money in operations and activities.

The new Human Resources (HR) Strategy for 2025-28 will guide FAO towards excellence and innovation in the coming years and marks a significant step in FAO’s HR Transformation to an effective strategic business partner, and enhances our ability to deliver efficiently on our mandate.

Dear Colleagues,

FAO continues to tell a compelling story to the world and to firmly position itself as the foremost technical, professional, knowledge-based organization and reference center for food and agriculture.

In just four months since November 2024, 14 000 FAO social media posts received over 1.4 billion views, and digital data visualization on the FAO website increased by close to 7.5 percent - that is more than 200 000 views per month, with 98 million views overall in 2024 alone.

FAO's impact and value, and benefit to all its Members continues to increase.

FAO has a unique role to play in providing Members with the information needed for evidence-based policymaking, and in communicating on the Four Betters, the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and on how agrifood systems are key to people, prosperity and planet for all.

Let us continue to work together for the world’s farmers and consumers.

I wish you a fruitful week and look forward to your professional suggestions to me and the Council.

Thank you.