Pretoria, 18 July 2012 - FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, met with Senior Executives from civil society, the private sector and state–owned enterprises to establish strategic relations with these sectors, explore areas of mutual cooperation, and to share with them FAO’s strategic directions and decentralization reforms. The Director-General invited their participation in FAO’s strategic thinking process, stating that FAO works in partnership with institutions of all kinds, including grassroots organizations, companies, professional associations, other United Nations agencies and national governments.
The major organizations present at the meeting included Endangered Wildlife Trust, Grain South Africa, The National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (NERPO), SAB Miller, Land Bank, Mvulsa Trust, Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis (FANRPAN), Tiger Brands, Industrial Development Corporation, National Agricultural Marketing Council, Standard Bank of South Africa, Agricultural Business Chamber, Agricultural Research Council, Women in Agriculture and rural development (WARD) and Women Organising for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN).
A follow-up meeting with representatives of civil society, the private sector and state–owned enterprises will be organised to identify mutual areas of cooperation.
