Warm greetings from the FAO Representation for Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize.

The year 2020 marked the 75^th Anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations. A year for which we had many plans, but one which pushed us to observe and reflect on the way we live and serve our nations.

As we stand to end this year, we do so humbly; thanking you, our governments, fellow development agencies, academia, the private sector, civil society, fishers, farmers, the media and all other stakeholders for your unwavering support over this unusual year.

It is a year that has tested our resilience and given us a new way to approach our personal and professional lives. We have seen our farmers and fishers endure great hardships, from the effects of a severe drought to the encounter of prolonged rains; challenges compounded by the start of a global pandemic- COVID-19. We stand with those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic and continue to keep you in our thoughts.

Amidst the pandemic, climate impacts and the slowing down of economies, emerged Food Heroes, our farmers and fishers who have joined health care workers on the front lines to produce, plant, harvest, fish, transport and distribute the food we need in order to grow, nourish and sustain our nations. We are forever grateful.

While we have been physically distant, we have also become a more unified force. Resource mobilization has been our biggest feat. By strengthening our collaboration with near and distant partners within the virtual space and in many areas, we are now` on a path to better helping our countries during and post-COVID-19.

The United Nations reminds us that “the world needs solidarity”. It is this solidarity that has led to support from the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund to help hundreds of farmers and vulnerable families during the pandemic and across Jamaica, to maintain their livelihoods and feel food secure.

In Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize we have and continue to develop projects and increase donor funding to support the development of more resilient agri-food systems, climate smart agriculture and more robust economies.  

Our work in capacity building in sustainable food systems and value chain development in Jamaica and Belize has continued. Over the year we have taken steps to build the tilapia sector in Belize and successfully introduced a commercial certification programme for ginger production in Jamaica to help in building a more resilient Ginger Industry.

We have been pushed more assertively into the future of technology and in using information and communication technologies and innovation for the development of food and agriculture. Many farmers and producers have moved into this new realm and we now have an increased opportunity to encourage more youth to explore the world of agriculture.

In October, we charted a new course for our work during our first Virtual Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean. With one of the highest political participation in the conference’s 36 years in the region, FAO member states approved three new priorities for our work:

• Sustainable food systems to provide healthy diets for all;
• Hand in hand to achieve prosperous and inclusive rural societies; and
• Sustainable and resilient agriculture

In Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas, we have made the first step with the approval of three new projects which align with the principles of the Hand in Hand objective. We will provide technical assistance for inclusive, sustainable and resilient food systems in selected rural and peri-urban areas in response to COVID-19. These will be supported by four additional projects across all three countries.

FAO Director General, Qu Dongyu, reminded us that “the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of the world's food systems, but it has given us the opportunity to rebuild better”.

We remain committed to building back better!

At the beginning of 2020, the UN Secretary General António Guterres launched the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. As we move into 2021, our collective contribution to ensuring improved livelihoods, food security, stronger economies and promoting healthy diets from more resilient and sustainable agri-food systems remains crucial in the new year.

Let us greet 2021 warmly, carrying the lessons we have learnt from this past year and be ready and more determined to transform our food systems into more efficient, healthy and sustainable drivers of hope.

We wish you, your families, colleagues and friends a season of good health, safety and joy and may we see each other in the new year beaming with hope and the assurance of a bright and productive 2021.