Readout of FAO Director-General QU Dongyu’s meeting with Michael S. Regan, Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Rome/Washington, D.C. - FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan - together with Ambassador Cindy McCain, Permanent Representative of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies - met virtually today to discuss cooperation between FAO and the EPA.

During the meeting, the Director-General and the Administrator shared views on the importance of innovation, science, technology, data, evidence and public-private partnerships for building MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

The two agreed that food loss and waste and water efficiency and savings are two key areas that would benefit from intensified focus in order to catalyze agrifood systems transformation, in particular in the context of the climate crisis.

The Director-General and the Administrator also touched upon the critical role the private sector plays across agrifood systems, given their focus on innovation and capacity to quickly develop practical, pragmatic and problem-solving solutions.

The Director-General and Administrator briefly discussed the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in November 2021 (COP 26), while noting the importance of the upcoming COP 27 in Egypt later this year and COP 28 in the United Arab Emirates next year.

The Director-General affirmed the importance of FAO and the EPA working closely together on common priorities, while the Administrator expressed appreciation for the Director-General’s focus on matters related to science, innovation, and private sector engagement, among others. 

The Director-General also informed the Administrator that FAO has a new private sector engagement strategy in place, while also noting that the Organization is currently in the process of developing two new thematic strategies: one on science and innovation, and the other on climate change.