Director-General meets with Cuban authorities ahead of G77+China Summit in Havana

Havana – On his first day in the Cuban capital to participate in the G77+China Summit, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu was received by H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, Ricardo Cabrisas, and visited a local farm together with H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Jorge Luis Tapia and H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, Ydael Pérez.

Deputy Prime Minister Cabrisas welcomed the Director-General at the Palace of the Revolution together with high-level Cuban authorities and expressed his appreciation for the long and fruitful collaboration with FAO. He highlighted the challenges of the current international scenario and stressed that concrete and profound actions must be taken to significantly improve food production and productivity in Cuba in a sustainable way.

During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tapia cited some priority areas such as implementing and improving existing irrigation systems, investing in a new variety of seeds, and creating better conditions for livestock farming. He noted that Cuba recently approved the Law on Food Sovereignty and Food Security and Nutrition, aimed at regulating the production, commercialization and consumption of food. It also intends to reduce imports of food, raw materials and inputs, and guarantee the quality and safety of food.

Director-General Qu recognized the complexity of mounting international challenges and noted that times of crises also present opportunities, highlighting the importance of transforming agrifood systems. For that, he mentioned three important aspects: (i) the adoption of enabling policies; (ii) the attraction of investments; and (iii) the promotion of science and innovation.

Qu stressed that FAO has launched several initiatives to support its Members in the transformation of agrifood systems, particularly the Hand in Hand Initiative, and encouraged the Cuban government to elaborate, together with FAO, a comprehensive investment plan to be presented at the World Food Forum, which takes place annually in October at FAO’s headquarters in Rome.

Before the meeting, the FAO Director-General visited a local farm, “Vista Hermosa”, an agro-ecological farm that produces vegetables, milk, dairy products and meat according to the principles of social and environmental sustainability, in line with the promotion of the Four Betters (Better production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life). The farm also invests in agri-tourism and is now part of the FAO 1000 Digital Villages Initiative. The Director-General praised the farm and said it presents a good example to be fostered in Cuba.