By Delicia Janneire | September 26, 2024
Guyana is steadfast in its efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition through a series of extensive agricultural initiatives, according to Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha.
He made these remarks during a virtual high-level dialogue organized by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) focused on addressing hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Recent data from the Sophia Report 202 reveals that Guyana has made significant progress in reducing hunger, with undernourishment dropping below 2.5%.
This figure is notably lower than the regional average of 6.6% and the global average of 9.1%.
Minister Mustapha emphasized that these achievements are the result of intentional policy interventions aimed at boosting food production.
During his address, Mustapha highlighted President Ali’s directive to involve women and youth in all agriculture-related initiatives, diversify crop production, and enhance drainage systems to benefit the agricultural sector.
He also noted the positive impact of the “25 by 2025” initiative across the Caribbean, stating that economies traditionally reliant on tourism are now actively pursuing food production, with Guyana taking a leading role in this transition.
The Minister underscored the importance of regional collaboration and private partnerships in achieving sustainable agriculture, asserting that the Hunger Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative would not succeed without such efforts.
He commended the FAO for facilitating discussions aimed at sharing ideas and fostering cooperation among nations to effectively tackle the challenges of hunger and malnutrition.
The Hunger Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative is a regional commitment, backed by the UN FAO and participating countries, designed to eradicate hunger permanently by 2025 through sustainable agricultural practices.