MBABANE – Eswatini’s drive toward long-term food security and climate resilience reached a historic milestone as the Kingdom officially welcomed its first locally based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Senator Pholile Shakantu, received the credentials of Rosanne Marchesich, who was appointed as the FAO Representative to Eswatini by FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu.
A Royal Mandate Realized
The opening of the new FAO Representation office in Mbabane fulfils a landmark commitment made by His Majesty King Mswati III during his visit to Rome for the World Food Forum in 2024.
Addressing international delegates, His Majesty outlined Eswatini’s strategy to host a resident FAO mission to directly address pressing agricultural challenges, zero-in on food insecurity, and combat malnutrition-especially among youth and women.
The mandate gained formal momentum following an agreement signed on October 14, 2025, between the Government of Eswatini and the UN agency. The official Host Country Agreement was signed at FAO headquarters in Rome by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini, acting on behalf of His Majesty King Mswati III.
The high-profile signing in Rome was witnessed by key Cabinet members, including Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Pholile Shakantu, Minister of Agriculture MP Mandla Tshawuke, and senior government officials, signalling deep institutional support across Eswatini’s agricultural and economic sectors.
Marchesich’s arrival and the opening of the physical Mbabane office mark a move toward deeper technical cooperation, localised project oversight, and faster resource mobilisation for local smallholders and commercial farming networks.
By moving from remote oversight to an in-country representative, the FAO and the Eswatini government plan to coordinate on climate-smart farming solutions, youth agri-business initiatives, and targeted food security programmes across all four regions of the kingdom.
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