Phil Hogan, a former European Union commissioner, has announced his candidacy to lead the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), emphasizing his intention to prioritize food security within global geopolitics. Central to his platform is the revival of a secure Black Sea corridor to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine, a route that was instrumental in delivering 32 million tonnes of grain and food during 2022-2023 under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The initiative, brokered with the assistance of Turkey and the UN, has faced renewed challenges as Russia intensifies attacks on cargo ships in Black Sea ports, effectively blocking Ukrainian exports. Hogan said he would actively engage with key international figures, including former US President Donald Trump, to reinstate this vital export pathway. Drawing on his experience working with Trump during his first term, Hogan noted that Trump’s transactional approach and support for farmers could provide common ground for discussions on food security, despite the former president’s broader criticisms of multilateral institutions and climate change skepticism.
Hogan, who launched his bid for FAO leadership this month ahead of the director-general election scheduled for June, described the Rome-based agency as in need of significant reform to be more responsive to contemporary challenges. Since 2019, the FAO has been led by Qu Dongyu of China, whose leadership has been marked by a cautious stance on the agency’s involvement in political activism. Hogan expressed concern that the FAO’s data and expertise are underutilized in developing solutions for crises exacerbated by conflict and climate phenomena such as the current El Niño, which threatens to disrupt global food security.
In addition to the conflict in Ukraine, Hogan highlighted other geopolitical dynamics affecting food supply chains. These include disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up oil and fertilizer prices, further straining agricultural production and trade.
As part of his proposed reforms, Hogan pointed to an existing FAO insurance brokerage scheme designed to facilitate the movement of food amid climate challenges. While still in its early stages, he suggested the scheme could be adapted to help secure food transportation corridors during emergencies.
Hogan underscored the importance of elevating food security to a level comparable to global security concerns, advocating for greater political coordination to address hunger and supply disruptions. With a background as the EU’s top agriculture and trade official, he said his leadership would focus on modernization and enhanced engagement with governments worldwide to ensure that the FAO fulfills a more central role in addressing food crises in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.