FAO to inaugurate new Food & Agriculture Museum & Network in Rome | FAO News

Rome – The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will open its new Food & Agriculture Museum & Network (FAO MuNe) on 16 October 2025, on the occasion of World Food Day & the Organization’s 80th anniversary.

Housed at FAO & supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, FAO MuNe is a dedicated space for cultural exchange & innovation which also incorporates the historic David Lubin Memorial Library. Centrally positioned near Rome’s Circus Maximus & the Colosseum, the museum highlights FAO’s 80 years of work while inviting audiences to explore the challenges & opportunities of agrifood systems today & in the future.

The inauguration will be led by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu & the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

Spanning 1,300 m² & 12 rooms, FAO MuNe combines history, knowledge, art, & science to tell the story of food & agriculture as shared human heritage. Its exhibitions will bring together archival treasures, historic documents, & rare photographs tracing FAO’s eight decades of work. Visitors will also take part in immersive installations designed to engage audiences in understanding how food connects people, cultures, & the planet.

Through the powerful unifying vector of art & culture, FAO MuNe invites everyone to explore, learn & act — an experience that connects knowledge & ideas with emotion & inspiration

At the heart of the Museum is an art collection of more than 60 pieces donated by around 40 FAO Members, each sharing a story of its land & people. Among these donations are unique life size artists’ sculptures such Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Cultivating the Third Paradise, which bridges nature, society, & technology in search of harmony, & Pablo Atchugarry’s Peace with Nature, a century-old olive tree reborn as a symbol of humanity’s reconciliation with the environment.

Other works on display have traveled from across various regions of the world to find their new home at the FAOMuNe. Together, these contributions form a vibrant dialogue among nations through art & objects, crossing linguistic & geographic spaces

Cultural exhibits will highlight diverse food traditions from across the world, while innovative digital tools will invite guests to imagine the future of farming, food, & nutrition. In this living space, art, science, & culture converge, turning the Museum into a meeting point where knowledge becomes inspiration & leads to action.

Why MuNe matters

Food is more than sustenance — it represents culture, identity, & diplomacy. FAO MuNe offers a space for learning, dialogue, & collaboration, linking agricultural heritage with contemporary innovation.

Its FoodS Lab – the ‘kitchen of the world’ – is fully equipped & will host workshops, cooking demos, interactive shows, & expert talks that explore global food traditions, sustainability, & innovative solutions. By connecting cultural institutions, universities, & partners worldwide, the museum fosters awareness & exchange on global food security & cooperation.

As a global network, FAO MuNe connects institutions, partners, & communities, creating a global hub for collaboration & dialogue that links local experiences with global knowledge

Guided by FAO’s Four Betters — Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, & a Better Life — FAO MuNe reflects the Organization’s Strategic Framework & its alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

FAO MuNe will start welcoming visitors from Monday through Saturday on 20 October 2025.  Reservations can be made directly on its website or by contacting [email protected]. The address is Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.