Qu Dongyu is a Chinese diplomat who took up office as the ninth Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on 1 August 2019. He is the first Chinese national to head the Organization. Qu won the nomination on the first round of voting at the 41st FAO Conference on 23 June 2019, obtaining 108 of the 191 votes cast by the 194 member countries. He is married, with one daughter.
Some of the key events about Qu Dongyu
1983
Graduated from Hunan Agricultural University with a Bachelor's degree in Horticultural Science
1986
Obtained a Master's degree in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
1996
Earned a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands
2001
Appointed as Vice Governor of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, becoming one of China's youngest provincial-level officials
2011
Became Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China
2011
Faced criticism for promoting genetically modified crops in China despite public concerns
2015
Elected as Vice Chair of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
2015
Oversaw controversial agricultural policies that some argued favored large-scale industrial farming over small farmers
2016
Appointed as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture in China
2019
Elected as Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
2019
Elected as FAO Director-General amid allegations of vote-buying and pressure tactics by China
2020
Launched the Hand-in-Hand Initiative to accelerate agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development
2020
Criticized for perceived slow response to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on global food security
2021
Initiated the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
2021
Faced accusations of downplaying China's role in the spread of African swine fever
2022
Criticized for not strongly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its impact on global food supplies
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