Bilateral meeting with H. E. Esteban Valenzuela Van Treek, Minister for Agriculture of Chile

Rome - The FAO Director-General met today in Rome with H. E. Esteban Valenzuela Van Treek, Minister for Agriculture of Chile, on the sidelines of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference.

The Director-General welcomed the Minister and acknowledged the strong partnership with Chile, which is founded on effective collaboration to achieve shared development goals. The Director-General also reminisced about his visits to Chile and noted that the Organization is proud to have its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago.

The Minister thanked the Director-General and provided an overview of the state of the country’s agricultural sector. He mentioned Chile’s main export destinations and its strategic efforts to secure access to various reliable markets for products such as wine, fruits, vegetables and dairy, among others. The Minister emphasized the importance of agriculture as a percentage of the country’s exports.

Furthermore, Minister Valenzuela expressed his appreciation to the Director-General for FAO’s dynamic portfolio of projects in the country and its ability to leverage support from regional and global development partners, thus scaling up its impact. The Minister also praised Chile’s participation in the Hand-in-Hand initiative, which has had positive outcomes for rural communities.

The Director-General acknowledged Minister Valenzuela's message and commended Chile for focusing on improving living conditions in rural areas. The Director-General encouraged the Minister to continue relying on FAO's technical expertise and corporate initiatives to strengthen the country's agrifood system and ensure food security.