Senior leaders from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded a high-level visit to the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture on 12 February 2026, highlighting their shared commitment to scaling science-based, innovative solutions to tackle food insecurity, malnutrition, and sustainability challenges across regions. The FAO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) collaborate to support Members in using nuclear and related technologies safely and effectively.
The delegation included FAO Assistant Directors-General and Regional Representatives from all five regions: Asia and the Pacific, Near East and North Africa, Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The visit aimed to deepen understanding of the Centre’s mandate and identify opportunities for strengthened collaboration in support of Members, particularly in preparation for the 2026 FAO Regional Conferences.
For over 60 years, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre has been a global hub for research, innovation, capacity development, and technology transfer, advancing the responsible use of nuclear and related technologies to strengthen food security and sustainable agrifood systems. The visit provided a framework to explore region-specific priorities under the Atoms4Food Initiative, which seeks to expand the use of nuclear and isotopic technologies to enhance agricultural productivity, climate resilience, food safety, and nutrition outcomes.
The timing is especially significant for Europe and Central Asia, where climate variability, soil and water degradation, transboundary pests, and food safety challenges are increasing. Nuclear and isotopic techniques offer precise, science-based solutions for climate-smart agriculture, resource efficiency, food safety, and evidence-based policymaking.
During the visit, the FAO delegation toured the Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, observing work in food safety, animal production and health, soil and water management, crop nutrition, plant breeding and genetics, insect pest control, and greenhouse facilities. The programme showcased how nuclear techniques can deliver cost-effective, scalable solutions aligned with FAO’s Science and Innovation Strategy and regional transformation priorities.
High-level discussions continued at the Vienna International Centre with IAEA leaders, focusing on enhancing collaboration to leverage technologies developed at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre and implement solutions in the field. The Centre’s Director, Dongxin Feng, emphasized that nuclear science achieves greater impact when advanced in close coordination with regional and country offices to reach those most in need.
Ahead of the Vienna meeting, the delegation visited Budapest to engage with the FAO Shared Services Centre and the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Discussions focused on regional priorities, programme implementation, partnership initiatives, and South-South and Triangular Cooperation projects, highlighting the importance of interregional knowledge sharing on issues such as water management, transboundary diseases, and locust control.
Together, the visits in Budapest and Vienna reinforced FAO’s integrated approach to science, innovation, and partnerships, demonstrating its commitment to harnessing advanced technologies to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
