World leaders and the heads of UN agencies come together in New York this week for the UN General Assembly. As global crises compound and converge, now is the time for global action and common ground. IFAD’s President-elect, Alvaro Lario, will use this opportunity to advocate for rural people and push to transform food systems.

The trending topic at UNGA this year was the escalation of the war in Ukraine. But the topic IFAD’s Alberto Trillo Barca heard discussed most in the halls and lifts of UN HQ in New York was food security and the global food crisis.