José Manuel Fernandes, Portuguese Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries; Martin Heydon, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries & Marine; Martine Hansen, Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Food & Viticulture; Christophe Hansen, EU Commissioner;
Credit: EU
On Friday 27 June 2025, Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, Martine Hansen, participated in the sixth African Union (AU) - European Union (EU) Agriculture Ministerial Conference, held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) in Rome, Italy.
As reported by Luxembourg's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture, high-level representatives and panellists from Africa and Europe debated the central theme "A sustainable future for agri-food systems". The objective of these efforts is to eradicate poverty and hunger and mitigate the consequences of climate change in light of current global challenges, namely worsening food insecurity, geopolitical tensions and weather hazards.
As part of the partnership between the African Union and the European Union, the ministers discussed concrete actions to support resilient agri-food systems.
During the thematic session on investment and financing of agri-food value chains, Minister Hansen stated: "Agriculture, rural development and the financing of sustainable agri-food value chains are key sectors that Luxembourg's Cooperation has supported for many years".
"Farms need appropriate inclusive finance instruments, which Luxembourg is implementing through the expertise and potential of its financial centre. Luxembourg has therefore created the Agri-Business Capital Fund, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the European Commission," she continued. "I also welcome the organisation of African Finance Week in October in Nairobi through the Luxembourg NGO 'Appui au Développement Autonome' (ADA), which specialises in inclusive finance."
Nevertheless, world hunger has increased and 29% of the world's population suffers from food insecurity. Minister Hansen emphasised: "We must cooperate more to support the rural economy and target the most vulnerable populations, such as small producers, women and youth in rural areas."
Other topics of discussion included sustainable practices and climate resilience, support for research, innovation and technology, as well as market access and trade facilitation.
At the end of the conference, the African Union and the European Union signed a declaration of intent to address the challenges related to the transformation of agri-food systems and food security.
