Bilateral meeting with the State Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras - H.E. Laura Suazo

Rome – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Her Excellency Laura Suazo, State Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, met on the margins of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment taking place at FAO Headquarters from 24 to 26 July 2023.

The State Secretary congratulated the Director-General for his re-election and showed appreciation for FAO’s work and support. She praised the debates and events of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 and said that she would suggest the Honduran government to organize a similar event at national level to review the country’s progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Secretary of State mentioned some national advances in the transformation of agrifood systems and in the promotion of food security, but highlighted that much more needs to be done. In this sense, she highlighted the importance of increasing productivity, advancing towards agro-industrialization and improving the situation of small farmers. She also underlined that it is essential to find ways for the private sector to invest more in the agri-food sector.

The Director-General noted that the Central America Dry Corridor needs a sub-regional plan to face challenges of the climate crisis. In this sense, the Hand-in-Hand Geospatial Platform can help identify the most suitable crops for each area.

He highlighted that to attract investments from the private sector, countries needs to implement stable land policies, which requires strong commitment from governments.