The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has awarded the Agricola medal to the President, who is the first Irish recipient of the honour.

At an event in Áras an Uachtaráin, FAO Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu awarded the medal, which is named after the Latin word for farmer, Agricola.

Prime ministers, popes, and presidents have all received the medal in the past.

According to Dr. Dongyu, President Higgins was given the medal because he was a shining example of leadership that transcended Ireland and elevated the significance of food security globally, connecting it to issues such as global farming, migration, and climate change.

Speaking after receiving the medal, President Higgins stated that both acute malnutrition and food insecurity are still on the rise globally.

“There is still a lot of work to be done in the world to end hunger, increase nutrition, and support sustainable agriculture.”

He continued: “The primary cause of food insecurity today is conflict, which is followed by shocks to the economy and harsh weather brought on by climate change.”

According to him, we are all faced with a number of interconnected crises that call for us to develop new perspectives and a consensus on how to manage and maintain our means of subsistence in order to achieve worldwide peaceful coexistence and the avoidance of conflict.

Higgins concluded by saying that we have a chance to end world hunger permanently in this century and expressed gratitude to the FAO for bestowing the Agricola medal upon him.