Berlin, 15-17 January 2026, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water participated in the Global Forum on Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin, engaging with ministers, senior officials, and stakeholders on how agriculture can contribute to advancing water security and transforming food systems.
The Special Envoy highlighted the need for more sustainable and integrated approaches to water and agriculture, including improved water management across food systems, better alignment of agricultural policies with water realities, protection of ecosystems that sustain food production, and strengthened support to farmers as key stewards of water resources. She also underscored the importance of enhanced international cooperation and sustained investment to advance coherent action across the water–food–agriculture nexus.
The GFFA is an annual multi-stakeholder forum on food and agriculture, organized by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany, and attended by representatives from more than 70 countries. The Forum is expected to contribute to the 2026 UN Water Conference by highlighting the central role of water in food systems transformation and the convening role of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water.
Below is the photo of SE on Water with Minister Alois Rainer, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Germany, Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General, FAO, and Alvaro Lario, Chair, UN-Water, and President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
