December Irish academic appointed Chief Scientist of Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN

A University of Galway academic has been appointed Chief Scientist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

 Charles Spillane is Established Professor of Plant Science in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and Ryan Institute and leads the AgriBiosciences, Food Security and Climate Change research lab in the University.

 Professor Spillane joins the Core Leadership team of the Food and Agriculture Organization - the inter-governmental specialised agency within the United Nations system which leads international efforts to defeat hunger and achieve food security for all.

 It is the first time an Irish person has been appointed to such a high leadership position in the FAO since its foundation in 1945.

 The mission of the FAO is focused on three goals: the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition; the elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all; and the sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

 Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, Martin Heydon T.D., said: “The appointment of Professor Charles Spillane as Chief Scientist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a significant achievement for Ireland, the University of Galway and for Professor Spillane personally. He brings deep expertise in agricultural bioscience, climate-resilient food systems and sustainability, built through decades of leading interdisciplinary research at the University of Galway. His appointment will further strengthen the FAO’s capacity to advance evidence-based innovation and partnerships for resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems worldwide.”

 Professor David Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “We are delighted that Professor Spillane has been appointed to this position of exceptional public service with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Professor Spillane’s appointment to this globally leading role is a testament to University of Galway’s rapidly growing reputation in agricultural research and education for food security and international development, that has been achieved over the past decade.”

 Professor Charles Spillane, University of Galway, said: “I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Chief Scientist within the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I am taking on this role with profound respect for the Organization’s remarkable history and enduring mandate to achieve food security for all, and to ensure that people everywhere have regular access to sufficient, nutritious food. The Food and Agriculture Organization is a key enabler of the world’s shared commitment to a simple but powerful idea, namely that that no person should go hungry, and that the pursuit of food security is inseparable from the pursuit of peace, prosperity, and dignity.”

 The Food and Agriculture Organization is the United Nation’s lead agency for SDG2 (Sustainable Development Goal 2) - Zero Hunger and is the custodian agency responsible for 21 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal indicators.

 It was founded in 1945 in response to the multiple global food crises that followed World War II. It is governed by its 195 members, namely 194 Member States and the European Union, operating on a consensus-based one country, one vote system. Ireland is one of the Member States, where the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine leads the state’s engagement.

 The FAO has an annual budget of over US$2billion, with more than 16,000 staff working across the headquarters in Rome, five regional offices and 130 country offices.

 Read more information about the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations here: www.fao.org.

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