The Permanent Representation in Rome

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that aims to eradicate hunger from the world. FAO aims to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to sufficient, high-quality food. FAO is primarily a normative organization and produces knowledge about the global food system. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in more than 130 countries around the world. The Netherlands is a member of the FAO. 

World Food Programme (WFP)

WFP is the second largest organization in the UN system after the UN Secretariat, with more than 20,000 staff worldwide and more than 80 country offices. It is primarily a humanitarian organization, but its mandate also includes working on resilience and development building on its humanitarian mandate. Within the humanitarian system, WFP performs essential coordination and implementation tasks in the areas of food security and logistics. In WFP the Netherlands is committed to ensure that humanitarian aid safely reaches those who need it most. In addition, the Netherlands aims to ensure that the organization functions efficiently and effectively, operates within its mandate and cooperates well with other organizations.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), founded in 1977, is both an International Financial Institution (IFI), and a specialized UN-Agency. IFAD invest in rural people, empowering them to increase their food security, improve the nutrition of their families and increase their incomes. IFAD helps them build resilience, expand their businesses and take charge of their own development. IFAD often operates in remote rural areas that are not reached by other (multilateral) organizations. IFAD has extensive experience in promoting climate adaptation and resilience for smallholders, green financing in agriculture and rural youth employment. The Fund invests in projects, primarily through loans and grants to governments, that are converted into projects to help the rural poor in the country. IFAD achieves this by introducing, improving and strengthening the productivity, sustainability and resilience of food systems in the countries. The Netherlands sits on the Executive Board, is co-convenor of List A (the group of donors that do not lend from IFAD) and is also a member of the Evaluation Committee, that not only deals with project and policy review, but has also become a gateway for policy making.