Guyana will host the next FAO Regional Conference

05/23/2022

Santiago de Chile - Guyana will host the 38th session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, in 2024.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, and FAO’s Regional Representative, Julio Berdegué, signed a Memorandum of Responsibilities on May 20, to formalize this decision.

The signing took place within the framework of the 2022 Agri-Investment Forum and Exhibition, at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC), in Georgetown, Guyana.

The Regional Conference is the most important meeting of the member countries of FAO in Latin America and the Caribbean; it allows them to face common challenges and set FAO's regional priorities every two years.

During the signing, Minister Hugh Todd said that agriculture is a central pillar to boost the economy, and reaffirmed that Guyana is very committed and will dedicate the necessary resources to ensure that the Conference is a success.

For his part, Berdegué expressed FAO's gratitude for the welcome given by the government of Guyana, and affirmed FAO's commitment to continue supporting the country's development.

 “We have been working with the country for many years, and we will continue to do so. No other country in the Americas is carrying out a transformation of its agri-food systems to the same extent and with the dynamism and level of political support that I have seen here in Guyana,” said Berdegué.

On Friday, May 20, Berdegué moderated a panel during the 2022 Agrifood Investment Forum and Exhibition, entitled Primary Production – Intensify Primary Production to reach 25 in 2025.

This panel allowed the participants to discuss ways to reduce Caribbean food imports by 25 percent, through the promotion of accelerated and specific investments in agriculture, which allow them to increase their food production and grow the agribusinesses in the member states of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM.