President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Rome, Italy, this Sunday (12), to participate in the opening of the World Food Forum, promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which will be held tomorrow (13). The delegation disembarked around 10:30 am local time (5:30 am in Brasília).
The invitation to participate in the forum came from FAO director-general, Qu Dongyu, in July, when the Brazilian president was informed that the Brazil left the Hunger Map. The country is below the level of 2.5% of the population at risk of malnutrition or lack of access to sufficient food.
“Brazil is off the Hunger Map again. We managed to remove 30 million people from hunger in two and a half years of government and there will be a big meeting in Rome, at the FAO, and I will have to speak as the main speaker at this meeting”, said Lula, in a recent interview.
The World Food Forum runs until the 18th, during which the 80th anniversary of the creation of FAO will also be celebrated.
Also this Monday, the Brazilian president will be received by Pope Leo XIV, at the Vatican. The meeting between Lula and the leader of the Catholic Church will be the first since Leo XIV was elected popein May this year.
Alliance against hunger
During the trip, Lula also participated in the second meeting of the Council of Champions of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Povertywhich is made up of ministers, government representatives, United Nations (UN) agencies, multilateral banks and civil society organizations.
Chaired in partnership between Brazil and Spain, the meeting will take place in a hybrid format and will evaluate the progress of the initiative since its creation in 2024. The 2025 edition will be marked by a series of commemorative activities and recognition of good practices in food security and sustainable agriculture.
Among the main themes are advances in the Fast Track Initiative, which supports national plans to combat hunger and poverty in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Haiti, Rwanda and Zambia, with more than 80 expressions of interest from financial and technical partners.
The first results should be presented during the UN World Summit on Social Development, when the alliance will hold its first high-level meeting. The event will take place in Doha, Qatar, on November 3.
THE Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty was launched during the Brazilian presidency of the G20 to support and accelerate efforts to eradicate hunger and reduce inequalities. The initiative already has almost 200 members, 102 countries, as well as 53 foundations, 30 international organizations and 14 financial institutions, which are the main sources of financing for the alliance’s projects and plans.
Lula will also inaugurate the space where the global alliance’s support mechanisms will operate, which will function as the initiative’s secretariat, with headquarters at FAO and offices in Brasília, Addis Ababa, Bangkok and Washington.
The return of the presidential delegation to Brazil is scheduled for this Monday.
