President conference ov

we have 700 million people who we represent living in pover we going to represent them, their rights, and their values after ence ends? Food production is not just about food, it is about peo involved in the system of producing food,” the head of state stre to this, the Head of State said that the agriculture sector is respon per cent of the world’s water consumption and 30 per cent of gl house gas emissions. “What is this conference going to say about technology are we going to deploy? How are we going to ens have availability of water and that our systems are built to b water?” Ali questioned.

Ali lamented that these threats to the sector must be addressed conference’s discussions. “Many of us say we want to end hun tion, and malnutrition. But if you look at our budgetary allocat not reflect that will. If you look at the expenditure profile, it doe that will. Political will is not only shouting out a message, it is a policy action and making policy intervention that addresses th added. Guyana, he said, has increased its budgetary allocations culture sector from $13.3 billion in 2019 to $32.2 billion in 202 ing an increase of 150 per cent and as a result, significant grow recorded in areas such as forestry, livestock, and fishing. In increased and structured investments, the president said newer t must be implemented into food production operations. “The food system involves technology, processing, transport and logistics, and agriculture. But for me, the future of food production revo women and young people. How do we get women and youths mo in the food production system?”

Ali said the government has already set a target for the countr agriculture sector to ensure that 35 per cent of all new farms ar women and young people.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who keynote speaker, highlighted Guyana’s initiatives to transform its sector. These, he said, include programmes for entrepreneurship tion, self-sufficiency in livestock feed production, and infrastruct to support farmers. Mustapha also emphasized the importance cooperation in addressing food and nutrition security, clim impacts, and digital innovations in agriculture.

The conference, which concludes on Friday, will focus on pro tainable agriculture, increasing resilience and sustainability in th system, and addressing climate change issues. Participants wil experiences and challenges in transforming agricultural system work towards common goals for the region.