Since 2019, FAO has been headed by a Chinese diplomat, Qu Dongyu. Changes have been introduced at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in recent years, which some say are in response to Chinese interests. The Rome-based FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) is responsible for food and agriculture worldwide. The UN's largest sectoral agency collects data on the agricultural sector and designs projects to improve nutrition - a task that is more important than ever in the face of the challenges of climate change and population growth. Qu Dongyu, a Chinese, has been its director-general since 2019. After taking office, he restructured the organization, appointing directors from his country in key departments. Before Qu was elected, two director positions were held by Chinese citizens; now there are six. One of them is responsible for the area of ​​crop protection and therefore also the use of pesticides. An investigative team has had access to internal documents showing that dozens of shipments of problematic pesticides have been authorised to countries in Asia and Africa since 2020. And the authorisations were granted not only for insecticides, which are also used in emergencies such as locust infestations, but also for herbicides and fungicides, used against weeds and fungal infestations. Many of the pesticides authorised by FAO contain active ingredients that are no longer authorised in the EU due to their toxicity. In response to a query, FAO wrote in general terms that it does not supply pesticides considered highly dangerous and that it only approves those that are authorised in the recipient country. However, it left unanswered questions about specific pesticide authorisations. Someone who worked at FAO for many years also makes serious accusations against Chinese management, claiming that they instrumentalise the organisation for geopolitical purposes. The investigation also reveals the presence of Chinese officials at FAO, who work for the organisation but whose salaries are paid by China. Other countries also fund such experts on their own, but without strictly controlling their political ideology, as is the case in Beijing. This is evident from Chinese tender documents, according to which officials must regularly report on their work at the FAO to the Chinese embassy in Rome. In the elections held in July 2023, Qu Dongyu was re-elected as director-general with the vote of 168 of the 182 member states. #dwdocumentary #documentary #china ـــــ DW Documentary brings you information beyond the headlines. Marvel at the best documentaries from German channels and international production companies. Meet enigmatic people, travel to far-flung territories and understand the intricacies of modern life - always close to global events and current affairs. Subscribe to DW Documentary and discover the world around you. Subscribe to DW Documentary: /dwdocumental Our other YouTube channels: ⮞ DW Documentary: /dwdocumentary ⮞ DW Documentary Youtube Channel: /dwdocarabia ⮞ DW Doku: /dwdoku ⮞ DW Documentary Mobile: /dwdochindi For more information, please visit: http://www.dw.com/zonadocu http://www.dw.com/primerplano http://www.dw.com/español Instagram: /dwdocumentary Facebook: /dw.stories DW Netiquette: http://p.dw.com/p/14KkY