The FAO Goodwill Ambassadors Programme was initiated in 1999. The main purpose of the programme is to increase public awareness and to disseminate information on issues related to food security, hunger and poverty in the world.
With the Goodwill Ambassadors, FAO intends to increase the international awareness and mobilize various sectors including governments, international organizations, the private sector, academia, farmers, public and others, and engage the support of as many people as possible in the struggle to end hunger. The Zero Hunger goal can become a reality if everyone works together.
FAO has three types of Goodwill Ambassadors:
The FAO Global Goodwill Ambassadors, who are worldwide known celebrities from the worlds of arts, royalty, sports, literature, sciences and other fields of public importance.
The FAO Special Goodwill Ambassadors, who are high-level institutional authorities and personalities usually from the field of research or science, who have excelled in an area relevant to the one for which they become special Ambassadors. Special Ambassadors support FAO directly in raising awareness of specific issues the Organization is advocating (i.e. nutrition, International Years).
The FAO National Goodwill Ambassadors, who are personalities with local appeal, the work of which they support mainly within the country of their nomination.
FAO Goodwill Ambassadors, and the year they were appointed:
Dee Dee Bridgewater 1999
Gina Lollobrigida 1999
Gilberto Gil 2001
Roberto Baggio 2002
Dionne Warwick 2002
Khaled 2003
Maná 2003
Noa 2003
Oumou Sangaré 2003
Raúl 2004
Chucho Valdés (pianist, composer), 2006
Anggun 2009
Carl Lewis 2009
Celine Dion 2010
Lea Salonga 2010
Raoul Bova 2010
Susan Sarandon 2010
His Royal Highness Prince Laurent of Belgium (2014)
Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain 2015
Leyla Aliyeva 2015
Abdelouahab Zaid 2015
Kadambot Siddique 2016
Jenny Chandler 2016
Joyce Boye 2016
Magy Gamal Habib AbdElmessih 2016
Elizabeth Mpofu 2016
Patricia Mercedes Juarez Arango 2016
Dr Bharrat Jagdeo (2016)
Carlo Petrini 2016
Guadalupe Valdez 2016
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand 2016
His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho 2016
