Italy names Maurizio Martina as head of the FAO

Brussels – The Italian government has decided to nominate Maurizio Martina, former secretary of the Democratic Party and Minister of Agriculture between 2014 and 2018, for the role of Director-General of the FAO, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. Today (23 February), Italy will ask other  European Union member states  to support its candidacy. 

Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida announced this in a joint press conference in Brussels, where today’s meeting of the EU Agricultural and Fisheries Council is being held. “The government supported Martina’s candidacy, despite his different political background, but we felt that Italy deserved to have that role in a high-level international organisation based in Rome,” said Lollobrigida, recalling that the government had already supported the former Democratic Party leader as deputy director of the FAO, a role he has held since 2021. 

“There will probably be other European candidates. We will call for a unified European position with regard to other candidates at the global level,” the minister added. The term of office of the current Director-General, Qu Dongyu of China, will end on 31 July 2027. The election will take place during the FAO Conference, by secret ballot, by the 194 member states of the Organisation.