Rome: The 2025 World Food Forum (WFF) has officially begun at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome. This week-long event is set to include participation from 10 heads of state and government, 115 ministers and vice-ministers, and representatives from various sectors within agrifood systems. The theme for this year, "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future," highlights the aim of transforming global agrifood systems, with over 25,000 participants registered.
According to EMM, this year's forum is particularly meaningful as it aligns with the FAO's 80th anniversary. The organization has been pivotal in fighting hunger and promoting food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and rural development over the past eight decades. Director-General Qu Dongyu addressed the ongoing issue of hunger, with 673 million people worldwide still affected. Despite progress since FAO's early years, 2.3 billion people experience food insecurity, and 2.6 billion cannot afford a healthy diet. Qu emphasized the need for urgent collective action due to challenges such as climate shocks, conflict, and biodiversity loss.
King Letsie III of Lesotho, FAO Special Ambassador for Nutrition, highlighted the need for political will and sustained investment to transform agrifood systems. He stressed the long-term benefits of transformation outweigh its initial costs, advocating for government-led policies and investments in infrastructure and innovation. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for collective effort and equity to eradicate hunger, urging governments to include the poor in budgets and make hunger eradication a state policy.
Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, described hunger as a moral failure rather than a scarcity issue. He advocated for social business models to empower farmers and youth, stressing the importance of investing in agrotechnology and innovation. In video messages, leaders from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Ireland congratulated the FAO on its anniversary and called for global solidarity and transformative action in agrifood systems.
The forum includes interactive roundtables with global leaders and youth innovators. Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan emphasized engaging youth in agrifood policymaking, while Djibouti's Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and Eswatini's Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini focused on investment in agrifood systems and innovation. Cultural performances and videos reinforced the forum's message of culture and creativity as catalysts for transformation.
Launched in 2021, the WFF consists of three pillars: the Global Youth Forum, the Science and Innovation Forum, and the Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum. These pillars unite youth, science, innovation, and investment to drive real-world change. Key events at the 2025 edition include the FAO Global Exhibition, the Inauguration of the Food and Agriculture Museum, and the World Food Day Ceremony. The forum continues to serve as a platform for turning dialogue into solutions for a sustainable food future.