By Abbas Nazil
Egypt has been unanimously elected to the General Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference during the organization’s 44th session, which commenced on Monday in Rome.
The appointment marks a significant recognition of Egypt’s growing influence in global agricultural discourse, as only seven of the FAO’s 194 member states hold seats on the powerful committee.
The Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, is representing the country at the high-level gathering, which was officially opened by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.
The FAO Conference, the organization’s highest governing body, meets biennially to set global policy direction and make decisions on pressing food and agriculture issues.
As a member of the General Committee, Egypt will play a pivotal role in reviewing all decisions, conclusions, and recommendations presented at the conference before they are formally adopted.
Farouk emphasized the importance of the session as a crucial platform for dialogue and international collaboration on major global agricultural challenges.
In his remarks, he highlighted that the world is currently navigating a critical phase marked by food insecurity, climate change, and the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices.
He stressed the necessity of joint global efforts to develop innovative, resilient, and sustainable food systems capable of delivering sufficient and safe food to populations worldwide.
The minister further noted that Egypt’s participation in the conference is not only symbolic but also strategic.
The delegation aims to exchange expertise and best practices with other countries, particularly in areas such as smart agriculture, water resource management, and climate change adaptation.
These are key priorities for Egypt as it seeks to improve its food security and reduce its dependency on imports through more efficient and sustainable agricultural models.
Saad Mousa, Supervisor of Foreign Agricultural Relations at Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture, underscored the significance of the election, describing it as a testament to Egypt’s active role within U.N. agricultural organizations, especially the FAO.
He confirmed that Minister Farouk is also using the conference as an opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with his international counterparts, aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation and partnerships.
Also present at the conference were Saad Mousa and Mina Rizk, the Alternate Representative to the U.N. organizations at the Egyptian Embassy in Rome.
Their participation further demonstrated Egypt’s diplomatic and technical engagement in global agricultural governance.
The session, which also included the election of a new FAO conference president and vice-presidents, is expected to address a range of critical issues including global food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural development.