Agriculture policy makers to debate food security at UN conference in Poland

Agriculture policy makers from 50 countries in Europe and Central Asia are set to debate food security at a three-day United Nations conference beginning on Tuesday in the central Polish city of Łódź amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Henryk Kowalczyk

PAP/Marcin Obara

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) 33rd Regional Conference for Europe (ERC33) will be held from May 10 to May 13 to discuss ways of "ensuring food security and the transformation of agrifood systems," according to the Polish foreign ministry.

Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk are expected to attend the opening of the event, alongside the European Union's Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski and FAO General-Director Qu Dongyu.

FM @RauZbigniew talked with FAO Director General 🇺🇳 Qu Dongyu. The meeting comes ahead of today's inauguration of the 33rd Regional @FAO Conference in Łódź 🇵🇱.

Addressing the food crisis is especially important in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine 🇺🇦#33ERC pic.twitter.com/ik6sRnpRMB

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇵🇱 (@PolandMFA) May 10, 2022

Spotkałem się dziś z dyrektorem generalnym Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations @FAO @FAODG, który składa wizytę w Polsce w związku z 33. Sesją Regionalnej Konferencji #FAO dla Europy. 🇵🇱 🇪🇺 #33ERC

Sesja odbędzie się w #Łódź a jej gospodarzem jest 🇵🇱. pic.twitter.com/qYsBRx3NFG

— Henryk Kowalczyk (@Kowalczyk_H) May 9, 2022

The conference aims to be a platform for dialogue on the transformation of agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia, the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement ahead of the gathering.

Participants are expected to discuss food production priorities as well as the impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on regional food security and agriculture.

Agriculture ministers and government officials from across Europe and Central Asia will be joined by representatives from civil society and the private sector, the Polish foreign ministry said.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl