FAO’s Food and Agriculture Museum and Network links with new WOW Agrifood Museum in Siena

Siena, Italy - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today took part in the inauguration of the WOW - University of Siena Museum on Agrifood, a new space dedicated to agrifood systems and their future, developed in close dialogue with the FAO's Food and Agriculture Museum and Network (MuNe). The opening also marked the inclusion of the WOW Museum into FAO's MuNe's network, building on earlier exchanges on museum design and ways to engage the public around food and agriculture.

Similarly to FAO MuNe, through immersive spaces and digital tools, the WOW museum for its part presents solutions developed by researchers and Italian companies, helping visitors better understand agrifood value chains and the importance of sustainable choices. In this historic university setting, the WOW Museum aims to create a meeting point between cultural heritage and scientific innovation.

This perspective closely aligns with the vision behind FAO's MuNe, which uses knowledge, art, cultural diplomacy and a learning experience to spark curiosity and encourage knowledge-sharing, helping people better understand FAO's mandate, the importance of sustainable food and agriculture, and reflect on our shared food future.

FAO's MuNe, made possible with the generous support of the Italian Government, was inaugurated on 16 October 2025 during the celebrations of FAO's 80th anniversary by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and designed as a place where people can explore how food and agriculture shape daily life, communities and the future.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, highlighted the important role that museums and universities can play in connecting culture with innovation and in helping people and partners engage more directly with the future of food and agriculture.

"Museums invite us to step inside that knowledge and experience it firsthand," he said. "When universities and museums come together, they create something powerful, a dynamic platform for dialogue, participation and collective imagination."

In this context, the connection with the WOW Museum offers a further opportunity to reach new audiences and encourage reflection on the role of agrifood systems in society.

"Young people are not only visitors to museums but also co-creators of the future," the Director-General noted, stressing the importance of engaging students and young innovators in shaping more sustainable agrifood systems.

Located at Palazzo Bandini Piccolomini, near Piazza del Campo in Siena, the WOW Museum was conceived by the University of Siena's Santa Chiara Lab, the University's centre for interdisciplinary innovation. Designed as an experiential journey, the museum invites visitors to explore how agrifood systems are evolving and to reflect on the environmental and social challenges they face.

Through this growing collaboration, FAO's MuNe and the WOW Museum aim to strengthen knowledge-sharing, encourage greater public engagement with food and agriculture, and promote joint action for the transformation of agrifood systems.

The inauguration ceremony brought together alongside FAO, representatives of national and local institutions, including Roberto Di Pietra, Rector of the University of Siena, and Nicoletta Fabio, Mayor of Siena, together with representatives of the Province of Siena, the Tuscany Region and the Siena-Arezzo Chamber of Commerce.