“Strategic investment, political will can transform regional food systems” – President Ali tells global leaders

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that Guyana is leading the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Vision 2030 Agri-Food Systems Agenda, with the aim of boosting food production, ending hunger, and ensuring food security across the Caribbean.
He urged global leaders to accelerate the transformation of global food systems to make them more resilient, sustainable, and equitable, particularly by strengthening local production and reducing reliance on volatile external markets.
“Guyana is actively leading efforts to advance the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Agenda through Vision 2030, aiming to boost food production, end hunger, and ensure food security across the Caribbean region. Our experience demonstrates that strategic investment and political will can transform national and regional food systems. Guyana calls for the transformation of global food systems to be more resilient, sustainable, and equitable by strengthening local production and reducing dependence on volatile markets,” the Head of State said.
The Vision 25 by 2025 Food and Nutrition Security Initiative is a long-term social and economic partnership between Caricom Member States, the regional private sector, regional organisations, producer groups, development partners and civil society.
It outlines actions and critical areas of intervention to tackle the rising food import bill and reduce food insecurity, improve intra-regional trade, and create wealth and economic opportunity for every Caricom Member State.
Caricom Member States are among the most vulnerable small-island developing states (SIDS) whose agriculture sectors remain highly exposed to the effects of climate change.
Changes in weather patterns such as heavier rainfall and harsher dry seasons, among other changes, continue to have disastrous effects on the output and productivity of agriculture sectors. In this regard, stakeholders from within CARICOM have been very strategic in the steps they have taken towards addressing the issue.
As the UN marks its 80th anniversary, President Ali reminded delegates of the organisation’s founding purpose. “This organisation was conceived not in comfort but in crisis, forged from the ashes of war to serve as the conscience and compass of humanity. Eight decades later, that duty has not dimmed – it has only grown more urgent,” he stated.
The Guyanese Head of State also emphasised that for the UN to remain effective in addressing modern challenges, bold institutional reforms are necessary to strengthen its ability to act decisively on the world’s most pressing issues.
“Guyana stands ready to share its experience and partner with others to ensure nutritious food for all… If the UN is to remain humanity’s best hope, it must stand firm against aggression and remain fully engaged with the great question of our time. We must be bold in recognising the necessity for institutional adjustments that will advance the organisation’s success,” he said.

Climate financing, biodiversity protection to meet SDG targets
Further, the Guyanese leader has called on the international community to deliver predictable and accessible climate finance to support adaptation, resilience, and nature-based solutions, warning that the slow pace of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) threatens the 2030 promise.
In his address to the UN General Assembly, the President commended Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s Bridgestone Initiative as a path toward sustainable climate financing and urged renewed global commitment to development financing, including fulfilment of official aid pledges, mobilisation of domestic resources, and addressing the crippling debt burdens faced by developing nations.
Highlighting Guyana’s leadership in climate and biodiversity protection, President Ali also pointed to the inaugural Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, hosted in Georgetown in July 2025.
The President stressed that Guyana is demonstrating the balance between economic growth and environmental stewardship by transitioning from heavy fuel oil to natural gas while investing in hydropower, solar, wind, and other renewables.
“Guyana calls for renewed global commitment to financing for development, including fulfilling official development assistance pledges, mobilising domestic resources, and addressing the crippling debt burdens that hinder progress in many developing nations. Addressing these development challenges requires recognising that the health of our ecosystems is inseparable from achieving the SDGs. Guyana proudly convened the inaugural Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in Georgetown in July 2025, uniting over 140 countries, organisations, community groups, indigenous leaders, scientists, and financial institutions… Building on the global pledge to double protected areas by 2025 and achieve the 30 by 30 goal by 2030, the summit underscored the urgent need for innovative financing mechanisms, including biodiversity credit, green bonds, and debt-for-nature swaps to fund nature’s protection,” he added.