Bilateral meeting with H.E. Limber Cruz López, Minister for Agriculture of the Dominican Republic

Rome – FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, met today with His Excellency Limber Cruz López, Minister for Agriculture of the Dominican Republic, 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 Cruz and praised the collaboration with the Dominican Republic, in particular the joint work to promote more sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems. He congratulated Minister Cruz on his many years as Minister for Agriculture, during which time he had worked closely with the Organization.

Minister Cruz thanked the Director-General, noting that his country reaffirmed its full commitment to FAO, and stating that the Dominican Republic's clear objective was to exit the Hunger Map, as other Latin American countries had done. He went on to mention several key areas of collaboration with the Organization, including the national school feeding programme, reforestation and the prevention and eradication of transboundary pests and diseases. Regarding the latter, the Minister expressed gratitude for FAO's support in managing African Swine Fever and in addressing the outbreak of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly in recent years.

The Minister also mentioned the country’s plan to boost the banana sector, which would be presented as part of the Dominican Republic’s investment proposal at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum 2025. He underscored the importance of improving quality and productivity, as well as increasing production, exports and market access through science, innovation, and increased investment. Furthermore, the Minister cited the rice and egg industries as examples of sectors that had become top performers.

The Director-General thanked the Minister and encouraged the Dominican Republic to maintain its approach of supporting the rural sector to increase the competitiveness of its agricultural products. 

In closing, both parties signed an agreement for the establishment of the Dominican Republic Auditorium at FAO headquarters.