Caption: Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Mario Lubetkin, left, with Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein
THE Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Mario Lubetkin recently visited Trinidad and Tobago as part of his working tour in the Caribbean.
The visit aimed to solidify technical cooperation ties within the subregion, a release from the FAO stated last week.
During his visit, Lubetkin held a bilateral meeting with key officials including Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Avinash Singh, UN Resident Coordinator Joanna Kazana, acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Nela Dwarika-Ali and FAO Representative ad interim in the country Gillian Smith.
The discussions culminated in the signing of the Country Programme Framework (CPF) for 2023-2026 between FAO and Trinidad and Tobago.
The newly signed CPF is a strategic instrument that sets common priorities and outlines actions for FAO to achieve significant results in Trinidad and Tobago. The framework focuses on managing more efficient, inclusive, and resilient agri-food systems.
In terms of technical assistance, FAO will aid Trinidad and Tobago in transforming its food systems to become more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
This includes the promotion of climate-smart agriculture practices, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable land management.
Additionally, FAO will provide technical support to the Central Statistical Office in analyzing the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) data. This will help estimate the prevalence of food insecurity and report on SDG indicator 2.1.2, providing a consistent food security indicator to track progress towards the goal of ending hunger by 2030.
FAO will also collaborate with national and regional partners to implement projects focused on anticipatory actions, livelihood recovery, and climate-adapted agricultural practices.
“Trinidad and Tobago is a country of priority attention for the FAO cooperation agenda in the Caribbean and Latin America. FAO’s focus in the country is achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which demands transforming agri-food systems for a better life for all,” said Lubetkin during the signing ceremony.
Lubetkin also met with Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Amery Browne to discuss FAO’s support for Caribbean countries in improving food system resilience, agricultural policy, and economic collaboration. They reviewed the terms of the CPF and discussed FAO’s regional priorities.
During his visit, Lubetkin attended the Trinidad and Tobago Agri Expo 2024, accompanied by Hosein, to explore the region’s agricultural landscape. He also visited the Cocoa Research Centre and Insect Farm Facility at the University of the West Indies Field Station. The centre is renowned as one of the oldest cocoa research institutions in the world and the custodian of the International Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad. It supports the conservation of global cocoa genetic resources, improves productivity and quality, and aids the development of the cocoa sector through various outreach activities.
