FAO lauds Guyana’s transformation of agri-food system

…Guyana to host 38th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean

FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr Julio Berdegué has lauded Guyana’s passion for transforming the agri-food system, noting that it is unmatched when compared to other countries in the region.

His remarks came on the heels of signing an agreement with Foreign Affairs and International Relations Minister Hugh Todd for the Memorandum of Responsibilities (MoR) between Guyana and the FAO for the hosting of the 38th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.

The FAO official said this event was birthed after 33 countries in the Caribbean and the Americas threw support behind Guyana as the host nation.
“Guyana is the place to be today. No other country in the Americas is conducting a transformation of its agri-food systems with the level of dynamism, political support that I have seen here in Guyana…Let me emphasise that in 2024, we will be celebrating or commemoration 20 years since the launch of the Jagdeo Initiative. It’s been 20 years since Guyana has been leading efforts for food security and revitalisation of agriculture in this part of the world,” Berdegué expressed.
Meanwhile, Minister Todd relayed that such efforts feed directly into the development trajectory envisioned by the Ali-led Administration, putting agriculture as the central pillar for driving the economy.
“We are about diversification. We are at a very good position in terms of our resource base with the oil and gas revenues to really make massive gains in terms of our diversification process. We have to do that by being fully integrated within the global economy. Working with the FAO as a multilateral agency assures that we’re connected fully. Our national policies are aligned with our regional objectives, which are also aligned with the policies at the global level,” Todd detailed.
The Foreign Affairs Minister believes that the Government is cognisant of the sectors to embrace. Despite being a small State, he said Guyana has a bigger role to play in Caricom.
“Everything is culminating nicely to show that there is good planning at the political level. There is political will and there is policy space for us to engage. Our development partners understand our development thrust.”
The Country Programme Framework for the period 2022 to 2026 was also signed between FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr Julio Berdegué and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.
The FAO Assistant Director General said this signing cements the cooperation with Guyana in the coming years.
“We have been working in this country for many, many years. We will continue to be here as long as the Government and the people of Guyana believe that we have something to offer to this country,” Berdegué commented.