In 1991, the European Union (EU) became the 161st Member of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), marking an institutional breakthrough: it was the first time that FAO welcomed a Member Organization. The EU–FAO partnership has since been sound and growing, as evidenced by the upward trend of the EU’s voluntary contributions1 in recent years. This has enabled FAO to work extensively across the globe and in those regions where assistance is most needed.