World Food Forum 2026: FAO Director-General opens 5th Science and Innovation Forum

Event calls for accelerating science and innovation for food security impacts

Established by the Director-General in 2022, SIF is a key pillar of the World Food Forum (WFF), whose theme this year is "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow."

Rome - The 5th edition of the Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) opened Tuesday at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with Director-General QU Dongyu calling for the benefits of science and innovation to reach those most in need at a time when 645 million people continue to face hunger worldwide.

Established by the Director-General in 2022, SIF is a key pillar of the World Food Forum (WFF), whose theme this year is "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow." The Forum serves as a platform to advance science-based solutions and foster collaboration among policymakers, researchers, innovators and partners working to transform agrifood systems.

Held from 13 to 16 October 2026, the Forum highlights the importance of harnessing science, technology and innovation to build agrifood systems that are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, helping to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

While science and innovation are rapidly transforming how food is produced, accessed and consumed, one in four people worldwide still face food insecurity, and one in three cannot afford a healthy diet.

Groundbreaking innovations such as biotechnology, remote sensing, robotics and artificial intelligence are increasingly available. Yet their potential can only be realized if they are accessible, affordable and adopted by those who need them most.

Hundreds of millions of people still lack access to even the most basic life-changing technologies and innovations. Indeed, 96 percent of the world's offline population lives in low- and middle-income countries, where food insecurity and hunger remain disproportionately concentrated.