Luanda – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization representative to Angola, Gherda Barreto Cajina, highlighted, on Thursday, the country’s position at the international forum, where a business plan to attract an investment of approximately one billion dollars was presented.
The diplomat, who was speaking at the end of a meeting granted by the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, said that, with the plan presented last year at the FAO forum, in the fishing, livestock and flatland sectors, Angola demonstrated in return for boosting the East and Lobito corridors.
She highlighted that the country presented in Rome, Italy, 10 commitments to transform the food system and update the national food security strategy.
On the occasion, she also highlighted the work with the Angolan authorities to implement policies aimed at the sector, with emphasis on carrying out the first agricultural census in the country, in collaboration with the National Statistics Institute (INE) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Another demonstrative aspect of the evolution in this area, according to the person responsible, is the fact that Angola is currently already reporting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2), with the scale of food security.
Gherda Barreto Cajina also said that FAO worked on the innovation agenda, with the creation of three plans with the ministries of Economy and Planning and Industry and Commerce to accelerate small-scale agro-processing that is implemented in women's and young people.
Also, within the framework of cooperation, he referred to the work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to improve methodologies towards the development of a tool-process to accelerate production, mainly in the areas most affected by drought, aiming to obtain food in little time and self-sustainability.
She also made it known that FAO worked to strengthen and transform the Angolan agri-food system and to eradicate hunger in the country, as well as in several other areas, having accompanied public policies aimed at accelerating the family farming plan.
The FAO official said that Angola decided to develop the family farming policy with technical assistance from this organization, technically following the sea strategy and public policies to position the country in global forums to attract investment for the sector.
According to Gherda Barreto, empowering women not only reduces hunger, but also boosts the economy and strengthens resistance to crises such as climate change and pandemics.
She informed journalists that, next week, the country's first Agrobiodiversity Atlas will be launched, in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment.
Gherda Barreto Cajina ends her five-year mission on February 15th, during which, in addition to dedicating efforts to consolidating ties between Angola and FAO, she focused her activity, fundamentally, on the areas of sustainable development and food security.
FAO has had close cooperation with Angola since the country joined the Organization in 1977. In 1982, the fund established its representation in the country and, since then, has collaborated in the Government's emergency assistance programs, family resettlement vulnerable rural areas and in the supply of agricultural inputs for food production.
Created in 1945, in Québec (Canada), the FAO, made up of 194 Member States, plus the European Union (EU), present in more than 130 countries, is a United Nations agency with the aim of eradicating hunger and poverty in the world. FMA/SC/ADR/DOJ
