On 4 June, the Graduate Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed an “Exchange of Letters” to enhance their cooperation on a wide range of issues. The agreement, which consolidates the existing good relations between the two parties, was signed at Maison de la Paix by Philippe Burrin, Director of the Graduate Institute and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Director of the FAO Liaison Office to the United Nations in Geneva.

The Institute and FAO will collaborate closely on a wide range of research, professional training and career opportunities for Institute students, as well as outreach activities including joint conferences, workshops, panel discussions and SDG-focused events. The FAO will facilitate access to e-Learning modules and webinars within Institute academic programmes, while benefiting from the Institute’s expertise in international relations and development.

A number of Graduate Institute faculty and researchers are actively exploring food security issues, including the Gender Centre’s DEMETER project on Gender, Land and the Right to Food, Timothy Swanson’s Foodsecure project on food and nutrition security, and Anne Saab’s research into hunger in the age of climate change.