Türkiye nominates Eker to lead UN FAO on food security

Türkiye's nominee for director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mehdi Eker, has secured backing from approximately 100 member states following diplomatic efforts by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as he campaigns on a platform linking food security to global stability.

Global disparities in food security

Eker highlighted stark imbalances in global food distribution during his diplomatic outreach. "Some 645 million people are going hungry worldwide, while 1.4 billion are obese, and 2.3 billion do not have enough food on their plates," he said, noting that current production could feed 11 billion people. "There's something wrong here — the issue of food security is one of global security, and ensuring global security will be very difficult so long as this is not resolved," he added.

Humanitarian concerns and Gaza

The candidate emphasized that food shortages drive displacement and migration, stressing that Ankara views food as a fundamental human right rather than a political tool. "Food is weaponized against people in Gaza, against children — this brutality, this oppression, must somehow come to an end, and the right to food must not be violated," he said, adding that Türkiye's humanitarian vision would guide the organization's governance to protect vulnerable populations.

Reform agenda and election

Eker outlined three core functions for the organization: strengthening agricultural standards through the international Food Codex, expanding statistical networks, and providing technical assistance to developing nations. His agenda focuses on reducing food waste and combating zoonotic diseases while stabilizing vulnerable supply routes across the Black Sea Basin, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The election will take place in Rome next summer to select a director-general for the 2027-2031 term, with candidates also fielded by Angola, Italy, Spain and Ireland.