Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar has highlighted the need for greater support to be given to small island developing states, regarding innovative agriculture.
Minister Caesar spoke on the issue, during his address at the 37th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, which opened in Quito Ecuador yesterday.
He noted that, without innovation, small island developing states risk global marginalization as food producers. He said his will reduce the competitiveness of small producers, leading to greater social inequalities within countries.
It was emphasized that the youth must be specifically targeted, and the aging population of farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean must be supported through creative technology transfer platforms.
The conference runs from March 28th to April 1st, in Ecuador, and is serving as a moment in which the member countries will define the regional priorities to adapt and localize the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 to the conditions of Latin America and the Caribbean.
During the Regional Conference, the countries will analyze the work done by FAO in the previous two years in the region and agree on recommendations for initiatives and priorities that will guide the Organization’s work during the 2022-2023 period.
During the first two days of the conference, meetings with high-level authorities will be held during which officials will be presenting and analyzing the main results obtained by the FAO and Latin America and the Caribbean during the 2020 – 2021 biennium and also highlight priorities for the next biennium.
