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Guyana to attend FAO’s 37th Regional Conference in Ecuador
Kaieteur News – Guyana is set to attend the 37th session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Regional Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC) in Quito, Ecuador.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.
Every biennium, the FAO brings together its 33 Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean to establish the regional priorities of the Organization for the next two years. From March 28 to April 1, 2022, all 33 countries are expected to attend the 37th Session. For those five days the members will deliberate, reach consensus, make recommendations, and take necessary actions that will lead to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agro-food systems.
According to media reports, Latin America and the Caribbean are committed to confronting and overcoming the most complex humanitarian, economic and social crisis in recent decades, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, hunger is affecting almost 60 million people, reaching its highest point in 20 years while 22 million people fell into poverty in 2020. While, food insecurity affects four of every 10 people totaling 267 million in the region, and climate change has become an inescapable reality.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd will represent Guyana at LARC 37.
Minister Mustapha has been aggressively working towards meeting the government’s vision for the agriculture sector. At LARC 37, Minister Zulfikar will have the opportunity to share Guyana’s vision while discussing technological, institutional and organizational innovations with other Heads of Governments to find joint solutions to the challenges of food, agriculture, and Climate Change. Participating countries will then establish the regional work priorities of FAO for the next two years and will review the results achieved.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Hugh Todd.
Last November Minister Todd presented Guyana as a candidate to host the 38th Session of FAO’s Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.The voting and announcement of the next host country will take place at the conference in Ecuador and Guyana is hopeful that with the support of several Latin American and Caribbean countries, it will be selected to host LARC 38.
Furthermore, remarking on the event, FAO Representative in Guyana Dr. Gillian Smith noted that over the five-days, all 33-member countries will send high-level delegations to the 37th Session to deliberate, reach consensus, make recommendations, and take necessary actions. He said, already rising to the challenges to achieving better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, this is an excellent opportunity for Guyana to showcase its achievements to the Latin American and Caribbean Countries.
Additionally, earlier this year, His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali disclosed that not only has the agriculture sector been a backbone of Guyana’s growth in the past, but it will remain a critical long-term stimulant for multi-sectoral development.
“We have been speaking at length about our plans in making Guyana not only an agricultural hub, but a food production destination, and ensuring that our future economy is built on a strong foundation of food security, and more importantly, allowing our country to become a net exporter of food,” President Ali said.
The President also stated that his government has set out to transform food production into an “Agribusiness”, making it more competitive, diversified and far less susceptible to the damaging effects of climate change.
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