An Exclusive Interview with James Robert Okoth, Officer-in-Charge FAO Pakistan
This conversation is part of a special series by The Diplomatic Insight and our digital platform DiploTV, through which we engage with esteemed leaders from diplomatic missions, international organizations, and global development institutions. The series aims to highlight individuals and initiatives advancing international cooperation, scientific diplomacy, climate resilience, gender equality, and transformative partnerships shaping the future of global development.
We are pleased to present this exclusive interview with James Robert Okoth, Officer-in-Charge FAO Pakistan, whose leadership and expertise continue to guide critical efforts toward sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and food security in Pakistan.
Pakistan and FAO enjoy a longstanding and fruitful partnership rooted in shared aspirations for agricultural development, improved livelihoods, and resilient food systems. This feature not only highlights FAO’s expanding work in Pakistan but also underscores the organization’s vital role in supporting national priorities within an evolving global food security landscape.
With a legacy of nearly two decades, The Diplomatic Insight continues to serve as a trusted platform for strategic communication connecting governments, embassies, international organizations, policymakers, development leaders, and the private sector with a broad and influential readership worldwide.
TDI: To start, could you briefly share your journey as a development professional your experience and what led you to join this important global organization?
Thank you very much for having me. My journey with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations began in 1999, when I joined as a junior officer in Uganda. Over the years, I have progressed through several positions and worked in different countries, including our sub-regional offices and partly at headquarters.
Before coming to Pakistan, I served in Malawi as the Deputy FAO Representative. I have now been in Pakistan for the last three and a half years.
TDI: FAO, founded on 16 October 1945, is now 80 years old and has played a major role in global food security and reducing hunger. As you recently took charge in Pakistan, could you tell us about your background, your country, and your early expectations when you joined FAO as a junior officer? How did your journey in this organization begin?
Very important indeed. I am from Uganda, and when I joined FAO in 1999, it truly felt like a dream come true. As a student, I frequently used the FAO library for my literature reviews, and its rich and diverse resources drew me toward the organization. I felt it was a place where I should aspire to work.
Fortunately, two years after graduating, while working with the National Agricultural Research Organization in Uganda, I connected with a colleague from FAO who took interest in my work. I had no idea he was scouting for a young professional to join a program.
That is how I entered FAO in 1999. I initially came in to support a program, and from there, the journey unfolded and eventually brought me to Pakistan.
TDI: James, you’ve traveled widely and served in diverse and often challenging contexts around the world. What makes your posting in Pakistan particularly special for you?
This posting in Pakistan is quite special for me because it represents a change of context. Much of my previous work has been in Southern Africa, the Horn of Africa, parts of West Africa, and at headquarters. Pakistan offers a more diverse and distinct environment, rich with history, including the Indus civilization, and a very energetic and vibrant population.
For me, it is a moment to reflect on how the world is interconnected and how working for humanity is fundamentally the same everywhere. The challenges faced by ordinary farmers in Africa are like those in Pakistan, though the scale and context differ. With a population of over 250 million, programming here must be aligned to larger needs.
While we cannot achieve everything, it is essential to maintain an open mind and support the unique needs of farmers across the country from Tharparkar to KP, Balochistan to Punjab tailoring interventions to meet these diverse requirements.
TDI: Thank you for sharing your experience, James. As FAO also marks 80 years alongside the UN, could you share its global vision, key achievements, challenges, and the mission it has pursued over the decades?
Yes. FAO is an intergovernmental organization and the lead UN agency driving global efforts on food security, forestry, fisheries, sustainable land management, and related areas. At the heart of our mission is to ensure that every person always has access to sufficient diverse food for a healthy life. Our programming is guided by this central goal.
In Pakistan, our work is shaped not only by this global objective but also by the critical challenges faced by local communities. Over the years, FAO has evolved, much like other organizations. Initially, during the Green Revolution, the focus was on improving productivity and ensuring communities could access adequate food.
As challenges such as pests and diseases emerged, our mission adapted to address these issues, including transboundary threats. Later, international trade introduced new priorities like food safety, ensuring Pakistan’s products meet global market standards.
Thus, FAO’s evolution has been driven by emerging needs and challenges, enabling us to continuously address the demands of the communities we serve.
TDI: Can you share FAO’s major global achievements over the years, especially in addressing hunger, and how the organization has contributed to ensuring there is enough food to feed everyone?
The main challenge is food distribution, not production. FAO has worked with governments, research centers, and communities to produce enough food globally, with ongoing focus on improving distribution.
FAO has helped member states, including Pakistan, develop policies for food security and international trade, establishing standards like the Codex Alimentarius.
As a neutral convener, FAO addresses cross-border challenges such as transboundary animal diseases and collaborates with governments, communities, and farmers to adapt to climate change.
TDI: Thank you for highlighting climate change, especially as Pakistan faces recurring floods causing food insecurity, poverty, and displacement. Could you share FAO’s current interventions in Pakistan and how you are collaborating with the government, civil society, and youth?
FAO works closely with federal and provincial governments, academia, and research institutions to tackle key challenges, with climate change at the center of its programming.
In Sindh and Punjab, supported by the Green Climate Fund, FAO promotes climate-resilient agricultural practices adaptable for small communities, while collaborating with research institutions to implement innovative technologies. In Tharparkar and Umerkot, EU-funded projects address rangeland issues for agro-pastoralists, and in Balochistan, we tackle water scarcity for agriculture with support from multiple stakeholders.
A major achievement includes conserving over 75,000 hectares of Chaligoza pine in Balochistan, KP, and Gilgit-Baltistan, with Pakistan soon to be recognized in Rome for agro-ecosystem restoration. FAO also supports sustainable and profitable fisheries, ensuring benefits reach fisher families while maintaining long-term resource management.
TDI: How does FAO engage young people, universities, and aspiring farmers in climate and food security initiatives? What interventions do you envision for them, and what should they know about FAO’s work?
First and foremost, youth is central to addressing climate change challenges. Whenever I meet students and young people, I tell them that the future of Pakistan’s agriculture lies in their hands, especially with the growing role of artificial intelligence, which they are already leading.
Our programming is designed through a gender-transformative lens, placing youth and women at the center. When identifying initiatives or technologies, we evaluate them with this perspective, ensuring broad impact. In Pakistan, a significant portion of our program beneficiaries are women and youth.
We collaborate with universities across all provinces, recognizing that many students come from farming households. By engaging youth as conduits for behavior-change messages, we reach more people effectively. In the digital age, where farmers increasingly rely on smartphones rather than radios, youth engagement amplifies our outreach.
We are integrating digital agriculture and artificial intelligence into programs because youth are drawn to these technologies. For women, we focus on financial literacy and e-commerce, enabling farmers in remote areas like Tharparkar and Haripur to market and sell their products online. Women-led incubations further attract more youth and women into agriculture.
The future of agriculture depends on including both women and youth; without them, it is bleak.
TDI: You’ve worked closely with governments but also collaborate with other UN agencies. How does this coordinated approach function, and how does it help achieve FAO’s mission?
FAO and the UN work alongside governments to support and achieve their development goals. Across all UN agencies, youth and women are central to programming, ensuring they can reach their full potential, leaving no one behind.
Our programs are guided by a development framework developed in consultation with the government, which also informs FAO and other UN agencies’ programming and fundraising. The goal is a holistic approach, avoiding fragmented efforts. Through UN flagships, we address real issues like malnutrition, youth empowerment, and now food and Agri-systems transformation, ensuring comprehensive, transformative solutions.
TDI: Thank you for explaining that. Many young viewers often ask whether these organizations work in isolation or holistically. This year, FAO is celebrating 80 years of achievements. What is this year’s theme, and what key message is FAO sharing globally?
This year, the theme for World Food Day is “Working Hand in Hand for Better Production, Better Health, and Better Lives.” The theme emphasizes the importance of collaboration to address the root causes of food and nutrition, insecurity and poverty. It highlights the need to ensure enough food on the plate, improve utilization of the food we grow, and promote better health. With improved health, we can reduce stunting and enhance development indicators, which is the core message behind this year’s theme.
TDI: As head of FAO, what are your priority areas for this year beyond what you have already mentioned? Are there any specific focus areas you would like to share?
Our priority, alongside the UN, is to transform the agri-food system, connecting all steps from production to plate. Food safety is key, addressing challenges like aflatoxin and contamination with government support.
We aim to reduce the digital divide in agriculture by promoting precision farming technologies. We are also encouraging a move from a three-crop economy to a more diversified one, including high-value crops.
In livestock, particularly in Balochistan, KP, and Sindh, we are safeguarding climate-adapted breeds of goats and sheep to ensure sustainable future production.
TDI: What are the one or two biggest challenges you foresee in implementing FAO’s vision and mission in Pakistan?
I think we need to consider both the frequency and severity of climate change impacts. Over the past three years, we have experienced extreme heatwaves and recurring floods first in 2022 and again this year. The increasing frequency of these hazards is a major challenge that demands urgent attention.
The second challenge is how to leverage the growing population as an opportunity rather than a burden. We need to translate this human capital into greater production, higher productivity, and healthier diets.
TDI: As we conclude, James, what key message would you like to share with the international community and our viewers in Pakistan?
Our key message is that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, like other UN agencies in Pakistan, is committed to working with the federal and provincial governments, as well as local communities, to address the underlying drivers of challenges affecting food security, nutrition, and livelihoods. Given dwindling resources, we are prepared to make tough decisions to ensure resources are used effectively, focusing on empowering women and youth and supporting holistic development. Pakistan is a highly endowed country, and by working together, we can drive meaningful progress for all communities.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
