FAO, New Zealand reiterate long-standing partnership in the Philippines
New FAO Representative in the Philippines and New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines uphold cooperation and partnership in the country at coordination meet.
At a virtual courtesy call on 26 March, new FAO Representative in the Philippines, Ms Kati Tanninen, and New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines, Hon Peter Kell, assured each other of continued strong partnership between the two agencies in agricultural development initiatives, particularly in Mindanao and the BARMM. Ms Tanninen and Ambassador Kell also discussed possible new collaboration on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in BARRM.
In the Philippines, FAO and New Zealand have been actively collaborating for more than 10 years in development interventions that have benefited thousands of Filipinos, especially smallholder farming and fishing families.
To date, New Zealand has supported FAO in seven major development initiatives in the Philippines amounting to more than USD 10 million covering livelihoods restoration, natural resource management, and agricultural production in emergency contexts.