Gillian Smith, Officer-in-Charge, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representation for Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize, (3rd left) in discussion with Hon. Karl Samuda (2nd left), Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), at a media launch for Jamaica’s hosting of the FAO’s 35th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean. The launch was held at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices on Tuesday, February 13, 2018. The conference is scheduled to be held from March 5-8, 2018 in Montego Bay, St. James. Others (from left) are Permanent Secretary Donovan Stanberry; and Director General Vivian Brown, MICAF.
Rising hunger and obesity, climate change and rural poverty; these will be the main issues of the 35th Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The 35th Conference will take place from 5-8 of March 2018, in Montego Bay, Jamaica and is FAO’s main governing body.
Agriculture Ministers from all of FAO’s 33 member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean will come together in Jamaica to set the Organization’s priorities for the next two years.
The meeting will be attended by FAO’s Director General, José Graziano da Silva and Ministers of Agriculture, Education, Social Development and Environment from the region.
According to FAO, this year’s Conference is of particular importance, since, for the first time in decades, hunger is once again on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Tackling rising hunger and obesity
According to FAO, hunger has risen again in Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time in decades, reaching 42.5 million, while obesity affects 96 million people.
The FAO Conference is a unique opportunity for countries to call for an immediate and large-scale push, without which the region will not be able to reach the second Sustainable Development Goal: zero hunger by 2030.
Putting an end to rural poverty
Rural poverty reduction has declined in the region. Currently, more than 20% of rural inhabitants cannot afford a basic food basket. Thousands of people are migrating to and from countries, escaping violence, lack of opportunities, poverty or environmental risks.
The FAO Regional Conference will allow countries to share public policies that increase the pace of rural poverty reduction, thereby revitalizing rural areas both economically and socially.
Promoting climate resilient sustainable agriculture
According to FAO, Latin America and the Caribbean must produce more, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing sustainable practices to adapt production systems to new climatic conditions.
The Regional Conference will allow countries to promote a fully sustainable agriculture, resilient to climate change and better prepared to face natural disasters.
ACCREDITATION FOR THE CONFERENCE
Journalists must be accredited by entering the following link http://bit.ly/2ElK5ZV. (Mobile version- http://bit.ly/2CeMjVa)
Interviews: Interviews that take place before, during or after the Conference should be previously coordinated with Cecilia Valdez at Cecilia.Valdes@fao.org or Benjamín Labatut at Benjamin.Labatut@fao.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
FAO Jamaica
Gillian Smith
FAO Representation for Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize
1-3 Lady Musgrave Road
Kingston 5 - Jamaica W.I.
Media contact
Benjamin Labatut
Press and Content Officer
tel: (+56) 229 232 174
E-mail:benjamin.labatut@fao.org
Tel: (+876) 927 9162
E-mail: Gillian.Smith@fao.org
Media launch video- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oAyZe7_jb_PcAN3ZfDfaXbmvWSIGsZDv/view
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The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is described as Jamaica's "Business Ministry." It's mandate is to lead the development of policies that will create growth and jobs, while achieving social inclusion and consumer protection. The Ministry, working its stakeholders is primarily responsible for business policy development, monitoring and evaluation, while giving direction and oversight to a cluster of implementing departments and agencies.
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