At the ministerial meeting of the MED9++ countries, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, called for coordinated action to address the disruptions threatening food security.
(From left to right) Gordan Grlić-Radman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia, Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Italian Cooperation, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO, and Maurizio Martina, Deputy Director-General of the FAO, participate in the MED9++ countries ministerial meeting at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, emphasized today that the global fertilizer shortage, caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, will lead to lower yields and tighter food supplies in the second half of 2026 and in 2027. He was speaking at the MED9++ countries ministerial meeting on the theme ‘Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers,’ co-chaired by the FAO, Italy, and Croatia.Addressing the ministers and senior officials gathered in Rome, the Director-General emphasized that the current crisis goes far beyond the geopolitical framework and increasingly affects food production, trade, agricultural inputs, and access to food worldwide.
