Bilateral meeting with H.E. Max Fontaine, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar

Rome - The FAO Director-General met today with H.E. Max Fontaine, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar, at FAO headquarters on the margins of the resumed session of the CBD COP16.2 and conveyed his appreciation for the fruitful collaboration between FAO and Madagascar.

The Director-General reiterated the importance of biodiversity for global agrifood systems transformation and highlighted the importance of coherent and focused action at national and international level, including through multilateral processes such as the COP16.  The Director-General further emphasized the importance of collaboration between national Ministries of Agriculture and those of Environment to accelerated action towards achieving the SDGs through the transformation of the agrifood system in the country.

The Minister thanked the Director-General and appreciated the support extended by FAO to Madagascar and further requested FAO’s assistance to mitigate deforestation challenges and to innovate food producing sources in the country. He informed that Madagascar was working in close cooperation with FAO on land management and restoration through a recently launched project. The Minister also stated that Madagascar was leading regional forestation efforts, including through projects with FAO, and well as in collaboration with countries in Southern and Eastern Africa.

In addition, the Minister stated that Madagascar was also focused on strengthening its aquaculture sector, and that the government looked forward to an increased participation by FAO in relevant GEF and GCF projects in the country.

Finally, the Director-General advocated for strengthened capacity building and skills development for small farmers to enable them to start a green bank through production of seedlings. He stated that this would lead to green development and eventually Green Cities in the country, in support of a better environment, together with the other Four Betters: better production, better nutrition and better life. In this regard, he cited the city of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia as a successful model for the FAO Green Cities initiative.

The pair agree to continue collaboration, including together with the Ministry of Agriculture to support agrifood system transformation in the country.