In visit to The New York Botanical Garden, the Director-General eyes collaboration potential for resilient, urban food systems and Green Cities

New York –  While in New York, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu visited The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). The trip coincided with the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development, which has seen discussions spanning areas such as food security and healthy diets, climate action, ecosystem restoration and biodiversity loss, and strategic partnerships with the objective of accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At NYBG, the Director-General met with NYBG Chief Executive Officer and The William C. Steere Sr. President Jennifer Bernstein, Chief Science Officer Mauricio Diazgranados, and other senior personnel and experts. He also  toured the Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory, the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the Rare Book Room of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

As part of the visit, the Director-General and NYBG leadership shared key areas of their organizations’ respective work, speaking of potential synergies between their wider networks, research initiatives and databases and knowledge repositories. Such a potential collaboration, the Director-General suggested, could represent a green leap towards work together to promote resilient and sustainable cities, economies, and societies. Urban food systems are critical for these efforts, the Director-General and NYBG leadership agreed.

FAO and NYBG leadership further discussed the science-innovation-culture interface, as a transformational driver for sustainable development, as well as to help conserve knowledge to nurture future minds. As a plant geneticist himself, the Director-General commended NYBG’s commitment to making knowledge and science available and accessible to all, recognizing the importance of harnessing knowledge, research and history to craft and inform the minds, researchers, and leaders of tomorrow.

The Director-General thanked NYBG leadership for the unique opportunity to visit their impressive research centers, archives and grounds, where their cutting-edge technology and innovative drive is evident. He also shared how FAO, like NYBG, is harnessing the power of science, technology and innovation, as reflected in the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy.

The Director-General also shared potential concrete areas of work in which FAO and NYBG could engage, moving forward.

First, the Director-General encouraged having young scientists, researcher and/or leadership working with or affiliated to NYBG to join the World Food Forum – hosted at FAO. He also invited NYBG to participate in the World Food Forum flagship event, taking place in Rome headquarters 16 to 20 October 2023, as part of global efforts for a better food future for all, with science-based and innovative, game-changing solutions informing global policy and practice on the transformation of our agrifood systems.

Second, the Director-General highlighted the recent inauguration in Rome of FAO's Global Library of Trees and Flowers Project, a joint venture between FAO and the city of Rome, consisting of a designated green space to educate the public at large about the importance of biodiversity and plants for all life on earth, a mission which is dear to both FAO and NYBG.

Third, the Director-General shared with NYBG leadership information about the FAO Green Cities Initiative, which aims to integrate green economy solutions with food security needs and priorities, in an effort to harness the vision of “future cities”. This initiative explores interlinkages between agroforestry and ecosystem restoration practices, especially in view of trends towards rapid urbanization and the need to rethink the urban-rural continuum. It also pays close attention to the relationship between human beings and our built environment, and what it means for our food production practices.

A final point raised by the Director-General was the viability of having NYBG and its network of scientists, experts and researchers work hand-in-hand with FAO as a way to further inform local and global science research and innovation strategies and roadmaps. These efforts stand to support of FAO’s call for harnessing the ‘Four Betters’ – Better production, Better nutrition, a Better environment and a Better for life for all, leaving no one behind. To this end, CEO Bernstein underlined the importance of reimagining the future of cities, and the work of NYBG in this regard. For example, its new Urban Conservation programme, led by Vice President for Urban Conservation Strategy Eric Sanderson, Ph.D. will leverage NYBG’s scientific and public platforms to develop and propose solutions for environmental issues affecting New York City and cities across the globe.

FAO and NYBG leadership expressed their disposition to furthering ties between both organizations, with both sides looking forward to enhancing collaboration in the areas identified.