Bilateral meeting with the Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, H.E. David Choquehuanca Céspedes

Rome - The FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met today with the Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, H.E. David Choquehuanca Céspedes, at FAO headquarters in Rome.

The Director-General welcomed Vice President Choquehuanca to FAO, expressing gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by his country, government, and people during his recent visit to Bolivia.

Vice President Choquehuanca conveyed his appreciation to the Director-General for the meeting and for the support from FAO, and highlighted the significant challenges and crises facing humanity. He stressed the imperative need for collective action and the critical role of international organizations in addressing these issues.

Referring to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Vice President noted that the Bolivian delegation had proposed a novel mechanism to sustainably manage the Amazon rainforest. He emphasized the Amazon's immense biodiversity, including numerous undiscovered food sources, and cited quinoa as a prime example of a crop that gained global recognition through an International Year. Bolivia proposes a similar initiative for Amazonian fruits in collaboration with FAO.

The Director-General underscored the value and nutritional qualities of healthy tropical Amazonian fruits. He suggested that this proposal should be presented jointly with all involved Amazonian countries, considering that Brazil will host COP30. He added that Bolivia, as a unique landlocked country, can play a crucial role in connecting biodiversity and agrifood systems.

Both the Director-General and the Vice President reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the partnership between the Organization and working collaboratively towards common goals.