Belgium and FAO: key partners for innovative solutions

The new Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium, Raschad Al-Khafaji presented his credentials letter to H.E. Meryame Kitir, the Belgian Federal Minister of Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy.

In exchanges with Minister Kitir and her Chief of Cabinet Anke Van Lancker, the FAO Brussels Director highlighted the strong and fruitful collaboration between the Organization and Belgium. The meeting discussed possible ways of closer cooperation in a wide range of areas, including urban agriculture and the fight against food loss and waste.

Al-Khafaji also had a courtesy meeting with H.E. David Clarinval, the Belgian Federal Minister for the Middle Class, the Self-Employed, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Agriculture, Institutional Reforms, Democratic Renewal and Relations with Parliament.

Minister Clarinval and the FAO Brussels Director discussed the key role that the transformation of agrifood systems plays in ensuring food and nutrition security but also beyond that in contributing to stability, economic growth and youth employment.

During these meetings, the FAO Brussels Director presented FAO’s new Strategic Framework 2022-2031, its main components as well as some of the key initiatives the Organization is working on. These include the Hand in Hand Initiative, the Green Cities Initiative and the 1 000 Digital Villages Initiative. He alluded to the Organizations wealth of technical expertise and offered FAO’s support to efforts aimed at creating an enabling environment for sustainable agriculture and rural development.

You can read more about FAO’s partnership with Belgium here.