Rome, Jan 23 (TIWN) Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said the coronavirus pandemic has illustrated the need for the world to strengthen agriculture and food systems.

Qu, a former vice-minister of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs who has led FAO since 2019, said the Organization was prepared to support the global effort to develop what he called a "new path" for improving the sustainability of agriculture and food systems, reports Xinhua news agency.

He mentioned an array of FAO-sponsored programs that could bolster the process, including the agency's Covid-19 Response and Recovery Program, a partnership project, and its Hand-in-Hand Initiative, which aims to accelerate agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development.

Qu's remarks were part of a broader Conference of Agricultural Ministers, which took place in Berlin, with many participants taking part through video link.