Launch of "The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security, 2025" report

Launch of "The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security, 2025" report 

Friday, 14 November 2025 
12.00–13.30 (CET)

Online | Via Zoom (Register here)

Panelist biographies

FAO cordially invites you to the launch of the 2025 edition of its flagship report, “The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security: Digital Solutions for Reducing Risks and Impacts,” to be held on 14 November 2025 from 12:00 to 13:30 CET via Zoom.

The report makes a critical contribution to the global dialogue on strengthening resilient agrifood systems. It presents a comprehensive overview of disaster impacts on agriculture and food security and quantifies the economic repercussions of disasters in the crops and livestock subsectors. By showcasing how digital tools and technologies enhance disaster risk reduction measures – making them more efficient, effective and actionable – the report illustrates their role in reducing agricultural losses and protecting farmers, fishers and agricultural producers. It underscores how digital transformation for disaster risk reduction in agriculture and food security – when guided by a human-centred design approach and supported by enabling policy frameworks – can empower smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities to better anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters.

The session will be opened by the FAO Director-General, followed by a technical presentation summarizing the findings of the report. High-level panellists will discuss developments and challenges in measuring the impacts of disasters on agriculture and highlight the role of digital technologies in supporting proactive risk reduction.

The working language of the event will be English, with interpretation available in all five other official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish).

Agenda

Opening session
12:00–12:05	Moderator welcome and introduction Ms Kimberly Sullivan, Communication Officer, FAO
12:05–12:13	Opening message  Mr QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO
Presentation of DIFA 2025
12:13–12:33	Presentation of the report's findings Mr Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, FAO
Panel discussion
12.33–12:35	Introduction of the panelists and discussion themes Ms Fleur Wouterse, Deputy-Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience, FAO
12:35–13:15	Panel speakers: Mr Animesh Kumar, Head of UNDRR Bonn, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction    Mr Andrea Toreti, Coordinator of the Global Drought Observatory, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission  Mr Mooketsa Ramasodi, Chair of the G20 Agriculture Working Group and Director-General, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development  Mr Shri S A Rizvi, Advisor to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of India  Mr Ian O'Donnell, Manager of the Socio-Economic Empowerment team, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies  Ms Ashley Thomas, Portfolio Lead for Sustainability, Google    Mr Andrew Mude, Lead Agri-SME Development and Innovative Financing, African Development Bank
Closing session
13:15–13:25	Closing remarks Mr Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, FAO
13.25–13:30	Closing Ms Kimberly Sullivan, Communication Officer, FAO

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