Rome - The 30th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG 30) opened today at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, with discussions focused on how science, innovation and technical expertise can help countries tackle persistent hunger and the increasingly interconnected challenges facing the agrifood systems.
"Breaking down silos and fostering a systems approach … is now more crucial than ever," FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said in his opening remarks at COAG, a specialized FAO governing body that provides guidance on agriculture-related policies and explores emerging issues.
During the week, Members will consider how to strengthen the implementation of the Strategic Framework 2022-2031. Discussions will focus on One Health, the bioeconomy, climate resilience, and reducing rural poverty, while reviewing progress on technical priorities including soil health, pesticide use, water scarcity, plastics, and antimicrobial resistance.
The Director-General praised COAG, saying its "evolution and suggestions have provided support in ensuring impact at scale and delivered concrete results."
Highlighting COAG's growing contribution to FAO's technical agenda, the Director-General pointed to several major milestones since its last session, including the establishment of the Sub-Committee on Livestock, adoption of the Voluntary Code of Conduct on Food Loss and Waste, publication of The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems, and the convening of global conferences on Sustainable Livestock Transformation, Agricultural Mechanization, and Smart Farming.
Since its last session, it has contributed to FAO's normative and standard-setting work in key areas, such as the Codex Alimentarius and the International Plant Protection Convention. It has also supported the rollout of FAO's notable digital public goods portfolio of tools such as WaPOR, expanded FAO-backed Farmer Field Schools to reach over 455,000 producers across 86 countries; and backed a number of soil-health initiatives in dozens of countries.
Emphasizing that FAO's policies, partnerships and investments must keep pace with the changing world, Qu added that "above all, they must deliver practical, effective and tangible results for Members, and for the farmers and consumers of the world."
Innovation for Food Security is FAO's Biennial Theme for 2026-27. The Director-General stressed that innovation is not only about technology but also about stronger institutions, better policies, effective partnerships, and practical solutions that can be scaled to deliver tangible results for Members and farmers around the world.
About COAG
COAG, established in 1971 and now comprising more than 130 Members, is one of FAO's Governing Bodies and generally meets every two years. Its members review agricultural and nutritional problems, appraise and support proposals for concerted actions, as well as advise the FAO Council on the overall medium-and longer-term work programme of the Organization.
