Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with Gerd Müller, Director-General of UNIDO

Rome - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu today met the Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Gerd Müller to discuss closer cooperation to help transform agrifood systems.

Qu thanked the UNIDO Director-General for the ongoing collaboration between FAO and UNIDO and commended him for the work of UNIDO to help make agrifood systems more modern and productive, while maintaining traditional values and safeguarding sustainability.

The FAO Director-General recalled Müller’s long track record in Agriculture, as Vice Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of Germany for eight years, and as a farmer, and highlighted that this broad understanding of the agrifood sector was crucial in his new role as Director-General of UNIDO.

The pair agreed to work closely together to support the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable, and to collaborate on joint action for a world without hunger.

They agreed on the need to work collectively on world food security for all, and on the pivotal role of sustainable energy for agriculture development.

They also agreed that FAO and UNIDO can both contribute significantly to technology and knowledge transfer, as well as stimulate investments in agrifood systems to increase productivity, sustainability and decent jobs.