WORLD FOOD FORUM 2025 Science and Innovation Forum 2025 “One Health in Agrifood Systems is Everyone's Health” Opening Remarks

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

One Health, one voice!

As we celebrate 80 years of FAO’s global leadership in food and agriculture, the world continues to face interconnected and mounting challenges that need to be solved collectively and turned into opportunities for all.

When agrifood systems thrive, they sustain production, nutrition, environment and livelihoods – in other words: the Four Betters: Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life – leaving no one behind.

To ensure this, we need to transform agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable.

FAOs integrated One Health approach supports countries to:

• One: Strengthen governance and capacity for coordinated action across sectors.
• Two: Embed One Health into agrifood system policies and investment plans; and
• Three: Integrate data, surveillance and risk assessment.

As the FAO Director-General, my primary focus is on promoting coordination among divisions.

I've mentioned the concept of One Health many times during my time at FAO. It’s important to clarify that it’s not about just One FAO; it’s about integrating the small units within the Division of Animal Production and Health. Even within these divisions, there is a lack of coordinated systems.

When I arrived, I observed that many small groups of three to five staff members, representing FAO, were discussing global issues, initiatives, and strategies. Although these groups were small, they had a significant presence, using bold slogans and big words.

That situation was unfortunate, as it led to a loss of accountability and reputation. When discussing One Health earlier, the focus was limited to zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which were the only aspects considered.

When you examine the extensive data from the past 25 years up to 2020, you'll notice that 99 percent of the search results for "One Health", when combined with various keywords, focus on just two themes. Is this the One Health approach you are promoting? Is this the One Health vision you hope to achieve? Certainly not

When I appointed a new Director, now Assistant Director-General, Thanawat Tiensin, I had a serious discussion with him. I underlined the importance of returning to clear definitions. One Health should encompass broader concepts, starting with soil health.  Thailand has promoted the health benefits of soil since the late King’s era in the 1960s. Additionally, it should include plant and water health. Therefore, One Health should focus on the health of soils, plants, and animals, rather than solely on zoonotic disease control.

Animal health encompasses a wide range of areas in which you are the experts. Human health is primarily dependent on the World Health Organisation (WHO).

I stated that the Ministry of Health should focus 95 percent on improving nutrition and healthy food, and only 5 percent on tablets, medicines, and medical treatments.

You mentioned that you are Ministers for Health, not just Ministers of medical treatments or medicine. Therefore, we should return to the original interpretation of each Organization’s or Ministry’s mandate. Understanding the true meaning of One Health may take some time.  I learned from the Ambassador of France that President Macron will return to the battlefield next year.

I fully support President Macron's initiative to hold a genuine One Health Summit that goes beyond merely discussing zoonotic disease control and AMR. These are two distinct areas, with AMR often promoted especially by British advocates. I understand the significance of AMR; as a scientist and former Vice Minister responsible for AMR, I recognize its importance. However, if we only focus on one aspect, we cannot effectively address this issue. Can you build a strong structure with just one pillar? No, that would resemble a mushroom or an umbrella; it wouldn't be a proper building.

I used this forum to share some important, science-based ideas. Some diplomats may manipulate language and references to achieve their goals, but that approach is ineffective. To create real change in business practices, we must fundamentally alter the original interpretations and definitions. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the role of a missionary, attempting to teach others. The concepts of AMR and One Health will not resonate with those who have different interpretations or perspectives.

The FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative is at the forefront of transformation.

Through One Health, FAO is co-implementing projects in 44 countries, representing an investment of over USD 165 million.

And through the FAO Framework for One Health in Agrifood Systems we are supporting Members with innovative, practical, and action-oriented assistance.

We need to work better together to turn science into policy, policy into investment, and investment into impact.

The Science and Innovation Forum is an important conference to strengthen our joint work on One Health.  However, it is also a collaborative effort that spans multiple sectors.

As I mentioned, you should extend invitations across divisions. For example, I don’t see a number of relevant Directors or their representatives.

I wish you a good and open debate, leading to the creation of a coordinated action plan together.

Thank you.