Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has signed a new three-year strategic partnership agreement with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

The minister signed the agreement, co-signed by WFP executive director Cindy McCain, while attending WFP’s executive board meeting in Rome.

The agreement commits Ireland to providing €105 million in funding to the WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organisation, over the period 2025 to 2027.

This represents Ireland’s biggest-ever financial commitment to the WFP, a 40% increase compared to the previous agreement.

Minister Heydon emphasised Ireland's steadfast commitment to tackling global hunger and food insecurity.

“This partnership underscores Ireland’s unwavering dedication to humanitarian assistance and sustainable development.

"By significantly increasing our support, we aim to bolster the WFP’s critical efforts in providing life-saving aid to those most in need," he said.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) leads Ireland’s engagement with the UN’s frontline agency combating hunger and malnutrition.

Cindy McCain, World Food Programme (WFP) executive director, thanked the people and government of Ireland for "their strong commitment to combating rising global hunger and food insecurity".

"Their support is more vital than ever, and will enable WFP to deliver lifesaving assistance to millions of the world’s most vulnerable people over the next three years," she added.

Minister Heydon said that as Ireland enters the final year of its term on the WFP executive board, this agreement reinforces its leadership role in global food security efforts.

"Ireland continues to advocate for effective, transparent, and needs-based humanitarian interventions," he said.

During his visit to Rome, Minister Heydon also held a bilateral meeting with Dr Qu Dongyu, director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to discuss shared priorities in sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate resilience.