Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol delivers the Philippine Statement during the 40th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference in Rome on 03 July 2017.

05 July 2017 ROME – The Philippines chairs the 40th session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference, the highest policy-making on food security from July 03 to 08 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. It is the first time the Philippines will chair the Conference.

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is the first Filipino to chair the FAO Conference. The FAO Conference determines the policy and approves the budget of FAO and meets every two years.

“I consider this election to the Chairmanship of the 40th Session as victory of the ordinary farmer for I lay claim to the distinction of being the first practicing farmer to be appointed as Secretary of Agriculture of my country,” said Secretary Pinol in his acceptance speech.

Senator Cynthia Villar, Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Philippine Senate, and Congressman Jose Panganiban, Jr., Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Philippine Congress, joined the Philippine delegation, giving high-level support for the first Philippine chairmanship of the FAO Conference.

Secretary Piñol highlighted that the countries face climate change as a threat in the production of food. He called for governments to make more investments in agriculture to ensure availability and affordability of food and to reduce poverty in the countryside.

“It is in this light that the Philippines calls for greater cooperation in technology transfer and sharing between advanced countries and those with great potentials for food production,” said Secretary Piñol during the Philippine country statement in the conference plenary.

It is a milestone for the Philippines to chair the FAO Conference for the first time and shows Philippine leadership in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

“We see the Philippine chairmanship of the FAO Conference as an affirmation of confidence of the international community in the Philippines. The Philippines is becoming an important player in multilateral fora for economic, development, and food security issues. This recent election of the Philippines at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this June also confirms it,” said DFA Assistant Secretary for the United Nations and International Organizations Bayani Mercado, who is a member of the Philippine delegation.

The Philippine chairmanship of the 40th session of the FAO Conference comes at the same time that the Philippines won a seat in the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC for 2018-2020 on 19 June 2017. END

Philippine Delegation to the 40th Session of the FAO Conference. (Left to Right) Agriculture Attaché Lupiño Lazaro, DA Director Maria Araceli Escandor, DFA Director Roberto Manalo, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco, DFA Assistant Secretary for the United Nations and International Organizations Bayani Mercado, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Senator Cynthia Villar, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and Food Congressman Jose Panganiban, Jr., DA Head Executive Assistant Ferdinand Piñol, and DA Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano before the opening of the 40th Session of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference on 03 July 2014 in Rome Italy.

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