President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will receive the UN's distinguished Agricola Medal, presented to individuals who have helped advance the cause of global food security.
The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation will present Higgins with the award at a ceremony in Dublin later this year.
President Higgins will be the first Irish recipient of the Agricola Medal, which is named after the Latin name for farmer.
In a statement, Dr. Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organization, praised Higgins for his "extraordinary" support for global food security.
"It would be my privilege and honor, in my capacity as Director-General, to present you with the prestigious FAO Agricola Medal in recognition of your contribution and commitment to the welfare of all peoples, your extraordinary support for FAO’s fundamental goal of attaining universal food security, and the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," Qu said in a statement.
It is customary that medal recipients provide their own choice of inscription for the medals.
Higgins has chosen the inscription: "Food Security as part of Universal Basic Services and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – the seeds of world peace."
During his time in office, Higgins has consistently raised the importance of food security and highlighted the links between food insecurity and global poverty, migration, debt, and climate change.
The President has raised the issue in meetings with global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
In October 2023, Higgins delivered two addresses on the topic of food security at the World Food Forum, hosted at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome.
Higgins has also written extensively about food security since he first traveled to Somalia in 1992 and saw first-hand the devastation caused by famine.
Director-General Qu will present Higgins with the Agricola Medal at a ceremony in Dublin later in the year.
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