Written by Richard McCarthy, President of the WorldFMC
Amidst the deepest days of winter (in the Northern hemisphere), we welcome very warm and encouraging news from Rome. The Italian government will formally recommend the candidature of former Italian Ministry of Agriculture and current Deputy Director General to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation — Maurizio Martina — to be the next Director General for the FAO. Should his candidature materialise, this would be very good news for family farmers the world over. For those of you who were with us during the darkness of the COVID19 pandemic, Maurizio Martina was among the bright lights we encountered. Not only did Maurizio attend planning meetings, encouraging us to build the political support in the USA, Ghana, and Italy for the Food Coalition distinction with FAO, but he has also demonstrated his passion for family agriculture at national and international policy stages. We know that institutions are made up of people, and that big institutions house big personalities. In this case, the world’s largest agricultural institution, the FAO, could be led by someone with a big heart for the communities who work the land and market agrifood to families with dignity, respect and love. We need more of this during this chaotic juncture in the world. We cheer Maurizio on and look forward to collaborating with him in whatever capacity he holds.
