Read-out of the meeting between FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Jewel Bronaugh

26 July 2021,  Rome - FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, and Jewel Bronaugh, Deputy Secretary of USDA, today met and discussed cooperation between FAO and the United States of America (USA).

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of the partnership between FAO and the USA.  The Director-General expressed his appreciation for the USA’s steadfast and consistent support to the Organization, and congratulated the Deputy Secretary on her appointment.

During the meeting, the Director-General and the Deputy Secretary shared views on the importance of innovation, science, technology and partnerships to building efficient, sustainable, resilient and inclusive agri-food systems.  They also touched upon the need to robustly address the climate crisis within the context of agri-food systems transformation.

They also discussed the potential of agri-food systems to help lift people out of poverty and improve nutrition, particularly for children and youth.  Both agreed that investing in youth is critical to the future of agri-food systems.

In this respect, the Director-General invited the Deputy Secretary to participate and contribute to the World Food Forum (WFF), which will take place in October 2021 after the UN Food Systems Summit (and will take place annually in the future). The WFF is a youth-led movement and network, initiated by FAO’s Youth Committee, to transform agri-food systems and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular “zero hunger”.

The Director-General also briefly touched upon the reforms he has emplaced in the Organization to ensure FAO is fit-for-purpose and equipped to deliver its new Strategic Framework.

The Director-General and the Deputy Secretary also touched upon other possible areas for increased collaboration, such as the Dry Corridor of Central America.