The CELAC Ministers of Agriculture reviewed the Plan’s results and progress one year after it was updated.
The Ministers of Agriculture of the member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) reinforced their commitment to move forward with the implementation of the Plan for Food Security, Nutrition and the Eradication of Hunger 2024-2030. During the meeting, organized by the Government of Honduras in its capacity as Pro Tempore Presidency, they reviewed progress and new strategies to accelerate its implementation.
The Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) presented the actions developed to advance in the implementation of the CELAC FSN Plan and the strengthening of its four pillars. These include various instances of technical and political dialogue on food security and development, the systematization of good practices and strategies for mobilizing resources to combat hunger and malnutrition.
In addition, the launch of the Food Security and Nutrition Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean was announced, an initiative supported by FAO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Food Program (WFP), which will enable more precise monitoring of compliance with the goals in this area.
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, Laura Elena Suazo, chaired the ministerial dialogue and highlighted the main actions promoted during her country’s Pro Tempore Presidency. “As part of the CELAC SAN Plan, we held the first Coffee Summit in Honduras, as an initiative of the President of the Republic and President Pro Tempore of CELAC, Xiomara Castro, to emphasize family agriculture and coffee as a fundamental pillar to boost the economy and the livelihoods of communities in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The progress presented in the CELAC FSN Plan is a clear example of the articulation capacity and coordinated response of the governments and partners which are committed to the fight against hunger and poverty in the Latin American and Caribbean region”.
FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mario Lubetkin, during the opening ceremony, highlighted the findings of the latest Regional Overview of Food and Nutrition Security, a report prepared by FAO and other
UN agencies. This study indicates that hunger and food insecurity in the region have declined for the second consecutive year, despite nutrition challenges and an increase in extreme weather events.
“Latin America and the Caribbean is moving in the right direction, but it is essential to reorient food and agricultural policies to achieve a sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. The CELAC FSN Plan is a concrete initiative at the regional level that strengthens efforts to eradicate hunger, poverty and inequalities. The active participation of ministers and high-level authorities is clear evidence of the regional commitment to this goal,” said Lubetkin.
A total of 26 countries, represented by ministers and high-level authorities, participated in the event in person and virtually.
The ministerial meeting was also attended by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), the International Coffee Organization (ICO), the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA), the Regional Cooperative Program for the Technological Development and Modernization of Coffee Growing (PROMECAFE), and the Cooperative of the Americas and the Confederation of Caribbean and Central American Cooperatives (CCC-CA).
