Bilateral meeting with Mr Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Rome – On the closing day of the World Food Forum (WFF) 2024 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met with Mr Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation of the US Department of Agriculture.

The Director-General welcomed Under Secretary Bonnie to FAO and noted that FAO’s unique governance design is complemented by the very fruitful interactions with high level representatives of FAO Members coming from their capitols to participate in the World Food Forum.

Under Secretary Bonnie thanked the Director-General for FAO’s leadership on improving agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods, on championing science and innovation and on highlighting the need to ensure considerations of equity are baked into the transformation of agrifood systems. He agreed that the World Food Forum offered great value to come to Rome and interact with counterparts at FAO across technical areas.

Mr Bonnie also expressed his appreciation for FAO’s work in supporting countries to adapt to climate change and reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, adding that USDA is also doing a lot to support American farmers to build resilience, such as expanding crop insurance to aquaculture and helping producers respond to consumer demand for climate smart production methods. He also stressed the importance of youth and young farmers to the United States, explaining the work of the US to bring more young people into agriculture.

The Director-General expressed appreciation for US support to FAO initiatives like the One Country One Priority Agricultural Product (OCOP), and explained how it can support the important objective of diversification of foods through specialized agricultural production.

The two discussed the constructive role that commodity groups can play in improving productivity, scientifically-based efficient natural resource use, and other win-win solutions to the multiple challenges facing global agrifood systems, including climate change.