FIAN's road ahead in global struggle for the right to food

Ana Maria became secretary general of FIAN International earlier this year, taking over from Sofía Monsalve whose long tenure transformed the organization, linking its mission to critical global issues from climate change to digitalization, financialization, conflict and care work.

She has extensive experience of international advocacy, including more than two decades at FIAN International, most recently serving as the organization’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva. 

How do you see your role as FIAN secretary general?

I see my role as providing strategic leadership to advance the right to food and nutrition globally in line with FIAN’s strategic plan. Over 23 years, I have learned from peasants, Indigenous Peoples, fishers, scholars, policymakers, and others.

I will use all those learnings, following the inspiration of Sofía Monsalve, our former secretary general, to provide strategic leadership to the organization in tackling threats to the right to food. This includes revealing false solutions in the context of food systems transformation and just transitions and amplifying people’s solutions such as agroecology and food sovereignty.

In times of uncertain geopolitical change, my role also consists of leading our organization to create a critical mass that resists, denounces, provides alternatives and strengthens collective advocacy. I also aim to guide FIAN so we continue accompanying the defense of communities affected by systemic human rights violations – including through our case work and deepening ties with social movements, particularly youth, to challenge inequalities in food systems.

What are the main challenges ahead and how will FIAN face them?

Amid multiple global crises — climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, wars, and drug trafficking — that deepen hunger, poverty, and inequality, we face an additional challenge: the rise of authoritarian governments dismantling public institutions, prioritizing profit over people and polarizing societies. These movements threaten the post-war consensus enshrined in the UN Charter: peace, human rights, and social progress, and hinder progress toward fair, healthy and sustainable food systems and just transitions.

Our newly adopted strategic plan provides clear goals to respond to these challenges within FIAN’s mandate. With its six thematic struggles and eight strategic tools, it offers a roadmap for action.

What difference can FIAN make in the global struggle for the right to food?

For almost 40 years, FIAN has been deeply committed to advancing people’s struggles for the right to food, addressing oppression by states and non-state actors and tackling power imbalances. What sets FIAN apart is its case work – advocating with communities for their right to food, while bridging local struggles to global policies and governance.

FIAN’s facilitation skills strengthen the right-to-food movement, connecting diverse actors across regions and sectors while fostering solidarity and collective power. This work is crucial for driving change, especially under authoritarian regimes, as recognized by allies and sections. Facilitating in such a diverse ecosystem requires openness to learn from all actors equally, critical analysis of mainstream solutions, and strategic dialogue coordination. Though often invisible, the facilitation work we do is essential for building bridges and strengthening collective action in environments that respect and value diversity.

Our persistence, capacity to collaborate with others, creativity, and the commitment of each person engaged in FIAN, continue to be invaluable for strengthening the right to food movement and achieving transformative change worldwide.

How optimistic are you about the prospects of advancing the right to food in the current climate?

Despite the challenges, there is much to celebrate: the 20th anniversary of the UN Right to Food Guidelines saw progress in implementation. FIAN Colombia secured constitutional recognition of the right to food, Ecuador’s peasants won landmark cases on the right to land and Uganda saw reduced military violence against fishers after years of advocacy. Our efforts, alongside many allies, to increase corporate accountability are bearing fruit, with steps toward a binding instrument to address the harms of Big Food, Big Tech, Big Agro and major financial actors.

I also believe that progress in recognizing the human rights of future generations offers new avenues to combat environmental crises and promote justice. And our work on food care is highlighting important paths for gender equity and dismantling patriarchal practices that harm women and LGBTQIA+.

These steps, though small, represent meaningful progress. Walking them in solidarity brings us closer to a world where food systems prioritize people and the planet over corporate interests.

For more information please contact Ana Maria Suarez Franco: suarez-franco@fian.org