©FAO/Pier Paolo
Rome – The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the winners of the 2025 FAO Awards, recognizing organizations from Colombia, Egypt, & the Philippines, whose work has led to outstanding progress in building more efficient, inclusive, resilient & sustainable agrifood systems.
On Monday, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu presented the Champion Award & Partnership Award during the 44th FAO Ministerial Conference held in Rome.
“These Awards are more than an acknowledgment of achievements – they represent FAO’s core values & aspirations. The ceremony is a celebration of possibility & hope of what happens when commitment & innovation meet the urgent call to transform global agrifood systems,” he said.
The FAO Champion Award, the Organization’s highest corporate award, which carries a prize of USD 50,000 & recognizes significant & outstanding contributions towards advancing FAO’s overall goals, was conferred to la Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia (COMENALPAC), for its tangible results across organizational, social, economic & environmental dimensions, including championing social protection measures for fishers & played a key role in drafting laws against illegal fishing, thereby improving the welfare & rights of fishing communities.
Since 2017, COMENALPAC has represented over 800 groups of marine & freshwater fishers across Colombia. Its work has contributed to the design & implementation of key legislation, including Law 2268 of 2022, which guarantees social benefits for commercial & subsistence fishers.
Through an FAO–COMENALPAC partnership, the organization has strengthened fisher communities in Tumaco by eliminating intermediaries, increasing incomes, & promoting inclusive market opportunities. It has also led to the restoration of 83 wetlands, contributing to aquatic biodiversity & more sustainable food systems. The organization was further praised for helping secure the legal recognition of more than 120,000 fishers & for its role in incorporating the concept of “Aquatic Agrifood Ecosystems” into Colombia’s National Development Plan.
In addition, within the same category, a Special Mention was also awarded to Youth Uprising, a Philippine-based non-profit organization recognized for its intense engagement of young people in transforming agrifood systems.
The FAO Partnership Award — valued at USD 10,000 & recognizing outstanding cooperation with FAO in advancing the Organization’s work by its Members — was presented to The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), the first Egypt NGO focused on addressing food insecurity, providing support to over 24 million people through comprehensive food assistance, nutrition, & empowerment programs.
Among the EFB’s most notable initiatives are the Community Nutrition Programme, the Ramadan Food Loss Initiative, & the Resilience Index Measurement & Analysis (RIMA). EFB’s programs have benefited over 150,000 families & more than 60,000 schoolchildren. Its work also includes capacity-building for small-scale producers & support to 1,200 farmers — particularly women — promoting sustainable agricultural practices & economic inclusion.
The FAO Director-General bestowed the awards to representatives of the organizations who attended the ceremony in person.
Adriana Rocío Cadena Cancino, Director of la Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia (COMENALPAC), received the Champion Award on behalf of the organization.
Mohsen Sarhan Ali Gamal Ali, Chief Executive Officer of The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), accepted the Partnership Award on behalf of his organization.
“These awardees remind us that transformation is already happening & must accelerate. Let us continue working hand in hand for the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient & more sustainable,” Qu added in his closing remarks, with a reference to the FAO Four Betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment & a better life, leaving no one behind.
Source: FAO News