Bilateral meeting with H.E. Carlos Giménez, Minister for Agriculture of the Republic of Paraguay

Rome – FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, met today with His Excellency Carlos Giménez, Minister for Agriculture of Paraguay, on the sidelines of the World Food Forum 2025 taking place at FAO headquarters from 13 to 17 October 2025.

The Director-General welcomed Minister Giménez, praising Paraguay's significant contribution to global food security as a major exporter of agricultural products.

Minister Giménez thanked the Director-General and highlighted the focus of the Paraguayan government on small and young farmers. He said that much work had been done to make rural areas more attractive to the youth so they could find suitable jobs in agriculture, instead of being obliged to migrate to urban areas.

The Minister also mentioned the Zero Hunger in Schools programme, which aimed to eradicate child hunger as a national priority. Regarding exports, Minister Giménez mentioned Paraguay’s focus on increasing industrialization, market access, and product competitiveness. Moreover, the Minister referred to the Organizations' technical support for the meat sector, which had provided a deeper understanding of the market and looked forward to further strengthening engagement in this area.

The Director-General added that equitable access to land, proper organization of production and processing, and securing access to stable markets were all important factors in boosting productivity. The Director-General and the Minister then discussed ways to enable smallholders to access credit and integrate into value chains.

Both parties agreed to continue working together to achieve sustainable agrifood systems that leave no one behind.