One Health in agrifood systems is everyone’s health
Deep Dive
To commemorate FAO’s 80 years of global leadership in food security and to celebrate the role of science, partnerships, and innovation in catalysing agrifood systems transformation, a high-level partner forum titled “One Health in Agrifood Systems is Everyone’s Health” will be convened under the umbrella of the Science and Innovation Forum (SIF), themed “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”, within the 2025 World Food Forum.
Responding to SIF’s guiding question - “What kind of future do we want, and what new forms of cooperation and paradigms in science and innovation do we need to get there?”—the forum will explore how integrated, systems-based approaches can address the interdependencies among human, animal, plant, soil, and ecosystem health.
The event will present the FAO’s One Health Programme Priority Area and discuss the Global Framework for One Health in Agrifood Systems, promoting the power of transdisciplinary science, cross-sectoral governance, and partnerships. It will address complex challenges—antimicrobial resistance, biodiversity loss, food insecurity—through actionable, integrated solutions that translate science into policy and local impact. The forum will advocate for concrete commitments and investment and bold cooperation to build resilient and inclusive agrifood systems that empower communities and protect planetary health. The forum will showcase that One Health is more than a scientific framework—it is a call and a potential to reimagine our collective future by working together.
Find out more here: One Health in agrifood systems is everyone's health: Why integrated approaches are transforming global food security
Speakers
Dr. QU Dongyu assumed office as the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on August 1, 2019.
Born in 1963 to a rice-growing family in China’s Hunan Province, Dr. Qu studied horticultural science at Hunan Agricultural University and then plant breeding and genetics at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He later added environmental science to his knowledge portfolio while earning a PhD at Wageningen University, in the Netherlands.
Before coming to FAO, Dr. Qu served as China’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, where one of his achievements was to promote inclusive and innovative development and make sure information and communication technologies (ICT) were available in rural areas so that more than 400 million farmers could use their smartphones as a new farming tool.
Prior to his portfolio as Vice Minister, Dr. Qu served as Vice Governor for several years in China’s north-west, Ningxia, where he accomplished a number of significant projects aiming to lift millions of local residents out of poverty, and he was recognized as a big contributor to China’s anti-poverty project in that part of country.
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee
Dr. David E. Anderson is a Chancellor’s Professor and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee. He earned a BS in Animal Science (NCSU), DVM (NCSU), and MS (KSU). Dr. Anderson is board-certified in veterinary surgery (Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons); an ACVS Founding Fellow of Minimally Invasive Surgery; an AAAS Fellow; and an FSLI Fellow. Dr. Anderson spent 25 years as a livestock expert at Kansas State University, Ohio State University, and the University of Tennessee. His research interests include animal models of disease, development of novel treatments and medical devices, and working in translational medicine. Dr. Anderson’s research centers around Team Science with emphasis on multidisciplinary teams for the advancement of science. These efforts have been supported by federal funding agencies, animal health foundations, and industry partnerships.
Agribusiness Development Division Manager, African Development Bank
Dr. Ihedioha is currently the Manager, Agribusiness/Agricultural Value Chain Development Division. He had Bachelors’ degree in Food Science and Technology, and his Masters’ degree in Food Technology and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Public Health Nutrition all from University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Dr. Ihedioha is a renowned agricultural value chain specialist specializing in post-harvest losses reduction and agro processing of agricultural commodities to diversify foods, enhance their shelf-life and ensure food security.
Dr. Ihedioha has traversed the food industry and agricultural research domain. Previously, he was a Brewer with Golden Guinea Breweries Ltd, Umuahia; Shift Production Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Limited and Research Supervisor at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan. Dr. Ihedioha came back to IITA after his PhD degree as a Scientist (Agro Processing Specialist). After a stint with IITA, he was seconded to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project on Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS) as Agro Processing and Business Development Specialist. It was from there that Dr. Ihedioha joined the African Development Bank. Dr. Ihedioha had previously developed the Framework for Reducing Post-harvest Losses (2010 – 2015) which was at the time, the Bank’s document for engaging with other institutions of post-harvest losses reduction issues. Along the line, Dr. Ihedioha was a Senior Lecturer at Federal University of Technology, Minna in the Department of Food Science and Technology.
Dr. Ihedioha has made scholarly publications in learned journals and consulted for IFAD, UNICEF, World Bank, UNIDO, among several national and international organizations. He is well travelled and has experience in many countries of the world.
Born in the district of Quthing, Mr Thabo Mofosi is a serial entrepreneur and one of Lesotho’s leading commercial farmers with the passion of turning the kingdom in a food secure country as well as the breadbasket for the Southern Africa Region. Mr Mofosi is a successful ram breeder, Board Chair of the Lesotho National Farmers Union (LENAFU), Chairperson of the Equestrian Association of Lesotho, as well as business leader in tourism and indigenous sporting code that include horse racing. He is a devoted community builder and servant leader. His passion for development and social responsibility is demonstrated in smart partnerships he makes with community members to produce food in fields around the district, as well as education support to the vulnerable and deserving students in his area. To date more than 500 children have benefited from generosity.
Chief Scientist European Food Safety Authority
Carlos das Neves is EFSA’s Chief Scientist and has been a member of EFSA’s senior management team since November 2022.
A Portuguese and Norwegian national, Carlos was Director of Research and Internationalisation at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI) before joining EFSA and previously served as Head of Virology and Head of Food Safety & Emerging Threats at the NVI. Additionally, he was a Full Professor at The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) from 2012 to 2025.
Carlos is a veterinarian (DVM – Technical University of Lisbon) and holds a PhD in veterinary sciences (Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences). He also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a Certificate in Public Policy Analysis from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In April 2024, he has been appointed as a member and co-chair of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), the scientific and strategic advisory group to the Quadripartite organisations – Food and Agriculture Organisation, UN Environment Programme, World Health Organization and World Organisation for Animal Health.
His areas of expertise include animal health, food safety, wildlife, emerging diseases, and One Health. He has led national and international research and development projects and has been a member of international panels and organisations related to his field of work. Carlos has several publications in peer-reviewed journals and books.
Dr. Hlamalani Ngwenya (well known as Dr. Hlami) is a South African-born Global Citizen, facilitator, and social entrepreneur with over 33 years of experience in 55+ countries. Proudly Tsonga, a mother of three, a poet, she is Associate Professor and Head of the Research Chair in Communication for Innovation at the University of the Free State.
She held senior positions in Government, International NGOs and Private Sector and she internationally recognized for her expertise in facilitation of systemic change. She designed and led over 500 high-level policy dialogues, workshops, and multi-stakeholder engagements, including a series of global events for FAO as well as other global, regional and national organisations.
From 2015 to 2020, Toby held a range of overseas and policy-focused positions with the Department for International Development, including Deputy Head of Policy in South Sudan, Policy and Programme Adviser in Tanzania, and Fund Manager during a secondment to UNICEF in New York. His commitment to global equity also includes his role as Policy Adviser on Violence Against Women and Girls.
Toby holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of Oxford, a Postgraduate Diploma in International Finance from the University of London, and a BA in Economics and Politics from the University of Manchester.
Loraine Ronchi is the World Bank Group’s (WBG) Global lead for Scaling Knowledge and Innovation. Based in the Agriculture and Food department, Loraine leads the effort to scale science and innovation into the WBG’s portfolio and into the evidence bases of policy dialogue. Prior to taking on this pioneering role, Loraine was Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food in South Asia, overseeing teams and operations in 6 countries, including Afghanistan. Previous to management, she was the first WBG-wide Global Lead for Value Chains and Agribusiness during her time as technical lead for agribusiness in the International Finance Corporation (IFC) advisory services. In her 20 years at the WBG, she has led programs, projects and policy dialogue on the agricultural sector from both headquarters and country office on a full range of food system issues from farm to fork. A Canadian Rhodes Scholar, Loraine has an MPhil in Economics from Oxford University and her doctorate in Economics from the University of Sussex in the UK.
multilateral and legal positions. Tanguy Stehelin is a graduate of ESCP Business School (1999), Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) (2002) and the French National School of Public Administration (ENA) (“Romain Gary” year, 2005). After arriving at the Foreign Ministry in 2005, he joined the Legal Affairs Directorate, where he was legal adviser at the international public law department responsible for international humanitarian law/UN issues (Middle East)/industrial, defence and nuclear issues.
From July 2009 to December 2010, he was seconded to the Ministry of the Economy and Finance as chargé d’affaires (Réseau Ferré de France, Air-France/KLM), at the French Government Shareholding Agency (APE), responsible for defining shareholder state policy in public-owned companies, and the
asset management of state holdings.
From December 2010 to September 2014, he was head of the transport operators office – APE rail sector (Air-France/KLM, SNCF, RATP, RFF, SNCM). He was a member of the board of directors of RFF, and of the supervisory board of SNCM and the ARTE European Economic Interest Grouping.
In October 2014, he re-joined the French Foreign Ministry until December 2016, holding the position of legal adviser, head of the human rights/elections/Francophonie/UN reform unit at the Permanent Representation of France to the United Nations in New York. During that period, he was legal adviser during the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP President, Mr Laurent Fabius.
From January 2017 to October 2019, he was personal adviser to United Nations Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, at the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
From October 2019 to April 2025, he was Deputy Director for European Affairs within the Legal Affairs Directorate at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. In March 2023, he was Head of the French delegation for the conclusion of the UN Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.
In parallel with his professional activities, he was auditor at the Diplomatic Institute’s College of Advanced Studies (CHEID) (2019-2020 cycle).
He is also a graduate of Paris X Nanterre University (master’s in general private law) and holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Paris IV Sorbonne.
Mr. Thanawat Tiensin has been appointed as Assistant Director-General effective August 1, 2024, Chief Veterinarian effective February 1, 2024, and Director of Animal Production and Health Division effective August 25, 2022. Additionally, he was assigned as Director Interim (Officer-in-Charge) at the
Joint FAO/IAEA Center of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna, Austria from November 2022 to July 2024. In 2018-2022, Mr. Tiensin served as Minister (Agriculture) and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations Agencies in Rome (FAO/IFAD/WFP). He served in several FAO governing bodies and committees, such as Chairperson of the Committee on World Food Security (CSF), Chairperson of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP), Vice Chair of the FAO Conference and the FAO Council, Vice Chair of the Committee of Agriculture (COAG) and COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock, member of FAO Finance Committee, etc. He was also appointed as the Advisory Committee of the UN Food Systems Summit.
In 1999, Mr Tiensin joined the Department of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand where he held positions of increasing responsibility, as Technical Assistant to the Director General, Senior Veterinary Officer, Head of International Livestock Trade and Regulation Group, Senior Expert in International Livestock Affairs, and Assistant Director General. In 2002-2003, he worked at the Mission of Thailand to the European Union in Brussels. Since 2008, he has held an international consultancy position with FAO, IAEA, EU, ABD, and WOAH in Bangladesh, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, etc.
Mr Tiensin, a national of Thailand, holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and a Master of Sciences (M.Sc.) in Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from Kasetsart University, Thailand.
He was a research fellow at Colorado State University, the United States.
S. E Martha Viviana Carvajalino Villegas, Ministra de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural de la República de Colombia
Martha Viviana Carvajalino Villegas is a lawyer, specialist in Constitutional Law, who holds a Master’s degree in Law, from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. This distinguished jurist, with recognized expertise in agrarian and environmental issues, has served as Judicial Attorney II for agrarian and environmental affairs at the Office of the Inspector General of Colombia. Her professional path includes a remarkable career in state institutions, international organizations, and civil society organizations, with a focus on advancing rural development, democratizing land structures, and promoting peasant and community economies.A driving force behind Agrarian Reform in Colombia, throughout her public service she has promoted the enforcement of agrarian regulations and supported the struggles of peasant communities and ethnic peoples for the recognition of their territorial, political, and social rights. As Vice Minister of Rural Development, between June 2023 and January 2024, she reactivated the National Agrarian Reform System and designed key instruments to revitalize land redistribution processes in the country.
Miss Wong joined the Administrative Service in 1985. Throughout the service with the Government, Miss Wong had taken up a wide range of duties at different Bureaux and Departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Education and Manpower Branch, the Tsuen Wan District Office, the former Transport Branch, the former Housing Branch, the Wong Tai Sin District Office, the former Health and Welfare Branch (subsequently reorganised to become the former Health, Welfare and Food Bureau), the former Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau (subsequently reorganised to become the Development Bureau), and the former Food and Health Bureau. She was appointed as a Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in 2018 and subsequently as the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology in August 2022.
Miss Wong possesses a broad spectrum of experience in various areas of public administration, including food and environmental hygiene, land development, home affairs and social welfare. During her tenure as the Under Secretary for the Environment, she helped support the formulation of policies on air quality, waste management, climate actions and conservation.