Climate-smart agriculture among policies being pursued – Govt tells regional FAO conference

Climate-smart agriculture is one of several measures the Government is pursuing when it comes to sustainable agriculture, according to the report that the Guyana Government provided during day three of the Ministerial Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) conference.
The FAO is currently holding its 38th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), in Guyana. On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha chaired a ministerial round table that featured Ministers of Agriculture and other officials from around the region.

During the session, Guyana through Director General of the Agriculture Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj provided an update on its efforts in agriculture. This update included references to climate-smart agriculture and other resilience measures.
“We are promoting the adaptation of climate-smart agriculture practices that enhance soil type, conserve water, and build resilience to climate change. We recognise the critical role of water resources in sustaining forest eco-systems,” Ramraj said.
According to Ramraj, efforts are being made when it comes to conservation of forests and water – both of which are also at risk owing to climate change. He noted the importance of recognising the interconnectivity between water, biodiversity, and soil. The Director noted that an integrated approach was needed to tackle these challenges, and it was one that the Government was already pursuing.
“Guyana, like many other nations in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, grapples with the intricate interplay between water, forest, biodiversity, soil and the looming threat of climate change. Climate change has brought about unprecedented challenges as a result of extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and changing precipitation patterns.

“These events are costing the water cycle, impacting forest health and eroding soil quality. These changes threaten our biodiversity, eco-system services and ultimately, our ability to thrive as a nation,” Ramraj further said.
The 38th session of the FAO Regional Conference for the LAC community runs March 18-22. It had been announced that the conference would include field visits from top FAO officials to the Burma Rice Station, the Agriculture Ministry, and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Each year, Agriculture Ministers and other dignitaries from member states of the region convene at the FAO regional conference to deliberate on matters pertinent to food and agriculture. Guyana’s hosting of this significant event underscores its leadership in regional agriculture and food security efforts.
With 33 countries scheduled to participate in the high-level session at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), and an expected attendance of more than 100 delegates, including officials from various organisations such as the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the conference promises to be a pivotal platform for shaping the future of agriculture and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 2022, Guyana signed a historic, multi-year US$750 million agreement with Hess Corporation for the purchase of 37.5 million carbon credits. Guyana is, in fact, the first country to conclude the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) process of certifying its forest carbon.
These serialised credits, listed on ART’s public registry, are available to buyers on the global carbon market, including for use by airlines for compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s global emissions reduction programme, CORSIA, as well as for use toward voluntary corporate climate commitments.
Guyana’s completion of the ART process paved the way for other Governments that are looking to receive carbon market finance for success in protecting and restoring forests. At the time Guyana was issued with the credits, 14 other countries and large sub-national jurisdictions were working towards their own issuances of TREES credits. (G3)