Eve Crowley: “Transforming agrifood systems is an act of justice and hope”

* This interview is part of a series of conversations with former FAO officers for Latin America and the Caribbean, held in the framework of the Organization’s 80th anniversary. On this occasion, they were invited to reflect on the main milestones of their tenure and recall their key challenges. 

With a long career in FAO, Eve Crowley has been both witnessed and protagonist of an Organization in constant evolution, and of a region that took firm steps toward zero hunger. In this conversation, Crowley recalls how the COVID-19 pandemic broke long-standing patterns and accelerated a new way of working, “agile, coordinated, and virtual”, that kept trade and food channels running, while guiding public policies in real time. She also highlights regional leadership in the fight against malnutrition, progress in climate change and biodiversity, and FAO’s stronger role alongside historically underserved communities: Indigenous Peoples, rural women, and small-scale producers. 

What did working at FAO mean to you? Is there a situation or story that you remember as particularly important? 

Working at FAO has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my personal and professional life. I joined with the conviction that food is a human right and the foundation of dignity. For more than 25 years, I had the privilege of working with resilient and creative rural communities, while also witnessing FAO’s ability to transform itself. 

Under Dr. Jacques Diouf, the focus was on increasing productivity to eliminate hunger, and we began to talk about sustainability and integrated rural development. Later, under Dr. José Graziano da Silva, the world realized that the problem was no longer the amount of food, but access. That’s why we promoted social protection policies, healthy diets, and, for the first time, addressed climate change and biodiversity. And under Dr. QU Dongyu, the emphasis has been on transforming agrifood systems, technological innovation, the use of artificial intelligence and big data, always keeping in mind those most in need. 

Throughout these decades, FAO has remained committed to territories and to the groups left furthest behind. And that has made a difference. Latin America and the Caribbean is the region that has made the greatest progress toward zero hunger. We saw many countries in the region leave behind the low and lower-middle income categories, we saw rural areas change radically, and we saw policies such as school feeding, wholesale markets, or the reduction of illegal fishing and deforestation become established. I feel deeply grateful to have been part of that collective journey, of witnessing the transformation of agrifood systems. This was never just a technical challenge: it is an act of justice, hope, and commitment to the future. 

What do you consider the greatest challenges the region faced in terms of food and agriculture during your time at FAO? And how do you assess FAO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic? 

One of the greatest challenges during my tenure, without a doubt, was the increase in poverty, food insecurity, and the disruption of food supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, isolation, fear of contagion when buying food, speculation about possible shortages, and Member Countries requesting FAO’s expert guidance on how to improve public policies and programs to face such uncertainty, all of this generated tremendous demand and visibility for FAO, and also a lot of stress. 

Decisions had to be made on whether to maintain school feeding, cash transfers, or deliver food baskets to vulnerable households. Finding the fastest and most effective way to turn the sale of fresh food into online trade was urgent. We felt that every minute without a response increased the vulnerability of people already in critical situations: children, women, small-scale farmers, artisanal fishers, Indigenous Peoples, people of African descent, older adults, and rural youth. 

And this happened while FAO offices were also closed, travel was banned, and the Organization itself faced uncertainty on how to fulfill its mission. This disruption allowed us to change the way we worked. It required agility, coordination, and active listening to country priorities. 

It was a revolution. The pandemic marked a before and after. We broke inertia and began to work virtually. FAO started to function as one integrated machine, as a large, cohesive team. We held regular meetings to monitor the situation with key divisions at headquarters and in the regions. We had real-time information on the state of the pandemic and on our offices. 

We were able to identify new problems and emerging demands from countries and regions, and we received corporate policy responses within days to guide national public policies. We managed to keep international trade and national food supply channels open, and to help install public policies that prevented a much worse food crisis. We also supported national economic recovery plans with a sense of urgency that made us more agile. 

I felt we were better informed than other sister UN agencies, which did not have a single integrated team working globally. Virtual work was key to FAO’s unification. 

Today there are no excuses to work in isolation. Any expert in any country can connect with hundreds of other experts facing the same problems. I personally started connecting directly with colleagues from Equatorial Guinea, Afghanistan, and Indonesia. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Representatives even created a WhatsApp group for informal conversations, something that had never existed before. 

I also felt happy to be part of an organization that genuinely cared about the physical and emotional well-being of its staff. 

What do you think has been FAO’s most important impact in the region? Can you name a significant initiative? 

I believe FAO’s most important impact in Latin America and the Caribbean has been its ability to build regional consensus around common goals, mobilize evidence, and provide technical support to countries to translate commitments into concrete public policies. 

Thanks to FAO, there is now regional consensus on zero hunger. The region has advanced: we are now at 4% prevalence and must reach 2.5%. Countries like Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guyana, and Uruguay are already below that threshold, and others are on the way. 

There is also parliamentary leadership linked to hunger, and a broader vision that addresses malnutrition in all its forms, including obesity, a topic in which the region was a global leader. We began adopting a systemic approach that went beyond farm plots, encompassing marketing, supply chains, nutrition, and food waste, among others. 

A second important impact is the space FAO now occupies in climate change and biodiversity. Previously, these issues were not seen as integral to FAO’s work. Today, we lead many of these areas and manage portfolios worth more than 500 million dollars. 

A third relevant impact is our positioning in working with underserved communities. FAO is one of the few agencies with direct presence and work in the most disadvantaged territories: Indigenous Peoples, rural women, small-scale producers. It’s a comprehensive approach that combines production, social protection, connectivity, access to services, innovation, and economic empowerment. 

In theory, all agencies should be there, but many have focused on urban areas. FAO has enormous potential to lead in rural areas where natural resources and new energy opportunities exist, helping to govern them with social, economic, and environmental justice. 

Have you observed any other significant transformations during your time at FAO? 

Yes. When I started, FAO and Member Country representation were dominated by men, especially in positions of power. At many events, I was one of the few women. Today, that has changed. There is almost gender parity at headquarters, and many Member Countries now have women leading key sectors, beyond traditionally female areas like nutrition or social inclusion. There is still much to be done, but I never imagined we would get this far. 

What governance challenges has the region faced? 

Talking about governance in Latin America and the Caribbean is talking about transformation. When I joined FAO in the late 1990s, the Organization was technically solid, but centralized, slow, and focused more on technical products than on political results. Over time, reforms gave voice to countries, strengthened regional offices, opened spaces for civil society, Indigenous Peoples and the private sector, and became more results-oriented. 

The region faces challenges such as political diversity, inequalities, tensions between large and small countries, and gaps between governments. Still, we have managed to align global priorities with local needs, and the Regional Conference has become a key space for dialogue, with strategic partnerships with CELAC, CARICOM, CAN, SICA, and others. We have moved from a vertical, Rome-centered FAO to a more decentralized, participatory, and closer Organization. 

What key lessons do you think are most relevant for new generations? 

First, the importance of a strategic, evidence-based, forward-looking perspective. It is not enough to react to current problems; you must anticipate them. This means working on emerging issues such as urban food systems, green cities, blue carbon, rural digital connectivity, or even 3D-printed food. Only by challenging ourselves can we remain relevant. 

Second, exercising leadership with humility, always listening, and recognizing when we are wrong. This is essential to adapt and correct course. 

Third, understanding that financial resources are fundamental. With small but well-targeted investments, enormous changes can be achieved. But we need partnerships, scale, and to avoid small projects reviewed by bureaucrats without urgency. We must reach millions today, in real time, with teams who know the ground. Otherwise, effort and goodwill are wasted, and we cannot afford that.  

* The views and opinions expressed in these interviews are those of the individuals in their personal capacity and do not reflect the official position of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). These former FAO colleagues are no longer formally affiliated with the Organization, and their statements should be understood as retrospective reflections on their professional experiences, the evolution of regional discourse regarding food security, and FAO contributions to regional priorities. FAO is a neutral and non-partisan UN specialized agency with a specific technical mandate, and is committed to upholding its mandate in a neutral manner consistent with its obligations to its Members. These interviews do not imply any endorsement by FAO of the ideas or opinions expressed.

Interview