Just released | Check out the June issue of Now from North America

Dear Readers,

Change is the only constant. After four and half years at FAO North America, it is time for me to move on. I will soon be joining as the FAO Representative in Sri Lanka. As I move continents and workstreams, part of me clings to the comfort of the known but part of me wants to move on, seeking new challenges and creating new approaches to our common commitment to solving world hunger.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has made us all physically distant, at FAO North America we have never felt more connected to our audience, through our regular online webinars and dialogues which have helped us share FAO’s message far and wide.

We are convinced that the only way forward is to heal our relationship with our planet and make our footprint on mother earth lighter and more sustainable. It was with this sentiment in mind that we co-hosted with CSIS, a webinar to explore the start of a new era in the United States' contribution and leadership in climate change issues, both globally and domestically.

To mark World Bee Day, in partnership with the  Embassy of Slovenia, we organized an engaging dialogue on the importance of protecting pollinators to support dynamic economies. The highlight of the event was a live bee painting demonstration by artist Matthew Willey, who has pledged to paint 50,000 bees to take the message of protecting pollinators across the U.S.

This month, we look forward to the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration with a screening of the acclaimed documentary “Kiss the Ground” on World Environment Day and a panel discussion co-hosted with UNEP.  In our continued focus on nutrition, we will organize a webinar in partnership with Alliance to End Hunger on Investing in Global Maternal & Child Health and Nutrition: A Multisector Response. We hope you can join these conversations.

I wish you and your family all the best.  Stay safe and stay connected.

Vimlendra
Director, FAO North America