The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) secretariat in Guyana commissioned its new office today at the Ministry of Agriculture’s La Bonne Intention (LBI) Complex.
During the commissioning exercise, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said that the new office demonstrates the government’s commitment to working with international partners to develop the sector. Expounding further, Mustapha said Guyana is once again taking its rightful place in the region in terms of pushing the agriculture agenda and food security. He was keen to note that Guyana has a history and a legacy for pushing agriculture in the Caribbean and CARICOM while adding that former President and now Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and Head of State, Dr. Irfaan Ali have been instrumental on this front.
The Minister said, “Our current president has put forward a document to advance the agriculture agenda and food security in the Caribbean that was recently adopted by the CARICOM Heads of Government. As a result of that, a Ministerial Taskforce was developed that is being chaired by Guyana, and I am very optimistic that with the help of the FAO and other partners we can develop a strategy to advance our food security agenda and work to resolve the issues of food insecurity in the Caribbean.”
Minister Mustapha also said that the government will continue to support international organizations like the FAO, while adding that the Ministry and the government look forward to FAO’s cooperation, guidance, and input to push the agriculture agenda in the region.
FAO’s Country Representative Dr. Gillian Smith also lauded the relationship between the FAO and the government while noting that the new space would provide an enabling environment for staff. She also said that it would support the quality of work required in Guyana from the FAO.
