The 2025 edition of the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event kicked off today at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. The week-long Forum features the scheduled participation of 10 heads of state and government, 115 Ministers and Vice-Ministers, as well as numerous representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, research institutions, youth, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders in agrifood systems.
Held under the theme "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future", the Forum expects a record number of participants with over 25 000 registrations - for a week of dialogue, innovation and partnership aimed at transforming global agrifood systems.
This year's Forum takes on special significance as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of FAO, marking eight decades of the Organization's global leadership in fighting hunger and advancing food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and rural development.
WFF 2025 Grand Opening Ceremony
The 2025 WFF flagship event opened with a vibrant celebration of culture, dialogue and youth empowerment. In his opening remarks, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu reflected on the Organization's legacy and enduring belief that "food is life, food is culture, and food is a basic human right."
"For eight decades, FAO has worked side by side with nations, farmers, youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, scientists and entrepreneurs - all united by one belief: that food can be the foundation of peace, dignity, and shared prosperity."
Qu also reminded the audience that around 673 million people - or 8.2 percent of the world's population - still face hunger.
While this represents significant progress compared to FAO's early years, when two-thirds of the world's 2.3 billion people were considered hungry or undernourished, the numbers remain deeply concerning. Today, 2.3 billion people experience food insecurity, and 2.6 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.
The Director-General warned that these challenges are compounded by climate shocks, conflict and biodiversity loss, underscoring the urgency of collective action.
Qu emphasized that addressing these interlinked challenges requires the transformation of global agrifood systems while comparing it to creating a mosaic: "Like the beautiful mosaics you see throughout our host city Rome, transformation takes many pieces, many colours, many hands and a lot of creativity and imagination. Once put together masterfully you can see the full vision, you can bring it to life."
Following the Director-General's address, King Letsie III of Lesotho, FAO Special Ambassador for Nutrition, noted that transforming agrifood systems demands political will and sustained investment. While the process may seem costly at first, he said, its long-term benefits - including reduced import bills, greater employment opportunities for youth and stronger resilience to climate shocks - far outweigh the costs. He stressed that no country can achieve this alone, and urged governments to lead with enabling policies and targeted investments in infrastructure, innovation and rural development.
In his keynote address, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, emphasized that eradicating hunger requires collective perseverance and renewed commitment to equity and multilateral cooperation. He noted that while the world produces enough food to nourish everyone, millions still go hungry due to persistent inequalities and stressed that FAO remains indispensable as long as hunger exists. He argued that governments must "include the poor in the budget" and make this a state policy-not something that rises and falls with political or economic cycles.
Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim Government of Bangladesh, said that hunger is not a problem of scarcity but of moral failure, and urged the creation of social business models to empower farmers, rural women and youth. He highlighted that young people with the right support should not be job seekers but rather job creators, and that investing in agrotechnology and innovation can not only feed the world but also transform it.
In separate video messages, Presidents Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, and Michael D. Higgins of Ireland congratulated FAO on its 80th anniversary and emphasized the urgent need for global solidarity and transformative action to build sustainable, fair, and inclusive agrifood systems that end hunger and ensure the right to food for all.
Global leaders and youth share the stage
The keynote speeches were followed by three roundtables promoting interactive dialogues between global leaders, policymakers and youth innovators.
Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan participated in the roundtable on engaging youth in decision-making for the future of our agrifood systems. She praised FAO's role in steering global agrifood transformation through science and innovation and highlighted the need to address "urban food deserts" and strengthen partnerships to ensure access to nutritious food for all. Princess of Jordan and youth policy leaders, Shalala Hasanova and María Valentina Forero, explored how to strengthen youth engagement in agrifood policymaking.
The Prime Minister of Djibouti, Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed took part in the roundtable on investment in agrifood systems transformation alongside youth chapters from Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire. He highlighted the need to accelerate access to agricultural technologies and innovation and strengthen both public and private investment in sustainable production.
The Prime Minister of Eswatini, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, who led the panel discussion on science and innovation, called for renewed focus on governance and financing to make agrifood systems more resilient and inclusive. He emphasized the need to embrace innovation and incentivize healthy diets as key pathways to reform.
Cultural interludes - including a vibrant Bhutanese cultural performance, a WFF theme video on Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future, a video on Youth Vision for a Better Food Future and musical performances by Sara Curruchich and Moty - highlighted the Forum's message that culture and creativity are catalysts for transformation.
Three pillars of transformation
Launched in 2021, the WFF has grown into a global, inclusive platform driving agrifood systems transformation through three interconnected pillars:
- The Global Youth Forum, mobilizing young leaders to shape solutions and advocate for a more sustainable and equitable food future.
- The Science and Innovation Forum, advancing evidence-based research and innovative technologies to accelerate transformation.
- The Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum, connecting countries, investors and development partners to foster impactful investments that support national priorities.
By bringing these pillars together, the WFF unites youth, science and innovation, and investment under one collaborative framework - bridging generations, disciplines and sectors to generate real-world change.
Key moments of the 2025 edition
The week features several high-level events and flagship moments, including the first-ever FAO Global Exhibition - "From Seeds to Foods" (10-13 October) at Parco di Porta Capena and the Inauguration of the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network (FAO MuNe) on the FAO premises (16 October).
WFF 2025 will also feature the following key events:
- Nomadic Indigenous Peoples' territory (13-17 October)
- Global Youth Forum (13-17 October)
- Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum Opening (14-17 October)
- Science and Innovation Forum High-Level Opening (14 - 17 October)
- Rome Water Dialogue (14-17 October)
- The First International Green Cities Conference (14-15 October)
- South-South and Triangular Cooperation Ministerial Dialogue (15 October)
- High-Level event on One Country One Priority Product initiative (15 October)
- World Food Day Ceremony 2025 (16 October)
- FAO80 World Food Day Talks-Foods Futures: Conversations for a Better World (16 October)
- Designation of chef Fatmata Binta as FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa (16 October)
- The ceremony of the FAO Achievement Award
- Junior World Food Day and Closing Ceremony (17 October)
The World Food Forum 2025 continues to serve as a dynamic space where innovation meets implementation - transforming global dialogue into concrete solutions for a sustainable food future.
A full programme of the 2025 WFF can be found online here.
