The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was founded in 1945 and celebrates its 70 years anniversary today at the World Food Day 2015. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, José Graziano da Silva, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are leading the celebration.
Madeleine Fogde, Program Director of SIANI is a member of the Swedish FAO Committee and part of the Swedish delegation at the 42nd session Committee for Food Security. Together with other delegates she is at the EXPO Milano for the celebrations of FAO’s 70 years anniversary and the World Food Day.
”Access to food is crucial for peaceful development, and it is instrumental that FAO was established prior to other UN agencies at the end of World War II. Now FAO can look back at the 70 years of successful endeavor of reducing hunger and poverty. Eradication of hunger is at the heart of FAO’s vision and, by no means, FAO will play a key role for the realization of Agenda 2030”, said Madeleine Fogde, Program Director of SIANI, a network hosted by the Stockholm Environment Institute.
“FAO plays a fundamental role in bringing agriculture and food security issues to the top of the international development agenda. SEI has enjoyed collaboration with FAO for 25 years and congratulates FAO on their success. FAO has always focused on solutions and provided support to countries and other actors, in a credible and scientifically robust way. We look forward to future collaboration opportunities, in our common quest to eradicate hunger and bring about a positive change towards sustainability”, said Johan Kuylenstierna, Executive Director of SEI.
The celebration of the World Food Day in Sweden will take place on the 21st of October, 2015. The theme of the event is “Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty”. The event will be held by SIANI, The Swedish FAO Committee and the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation.