November 11, 2024
FAO director-general visits farms in Australia, meets with country's agriculture minister
The Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, wrapped up an official visit to Australia, during which he visited innovative farms, research institutes, and met with the country's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins.
Before leaving Australia's Federal Capital, Dongyu visited the Australian National University (ANU). He paid tribute to Australia's young farmers and emphasised the need to focus on data collection and sustainable development. Additionally, he underscored the importance of enhancing food diversity, accessibility, and affordability to drive agri-food systems transformation.
He also held a meeting with Julie Collins, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in which they discussed Australia's agriculture sector and its strong ties with FAO.
Dongyu emphasised the importance of data, innovation, and strategic land use, proposing that Australia share its practices and expertise in sustainable agriculture, while the minister expressed enthusiasm for continued collaboration.
Among the innovative farms which Dongyu's delegation visited in the state of Victoria, Ellinbank SmartFarm, about 115 km southeast of Melbourne, focuses on boosting productivity and environmental sustainability through improvements in measuring, managing, and utilising the homegrown feed base, improving the health and welfare, and longevity and lifetime performance of cows, and sustainably increasing annual milk production per cow.
Additionally, the delegation visited the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, a high-containment facility designed to allow scientific research into the most dangerous infectious agents in the world.
They also attended a roundtable hosted by the Future Farmers Network, a non-profit organisation that focuses on youth in agriculture.
- FAO
