FAO Director-General and Minister for Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde discuss drought mitigation

17 October 2019, Rome – FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu met today with Gilberto Silva, Minister for Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde, on the sidelines of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which is holding its 46th session this week at FAO headquarters.

During the talks, Minister Silva congratulated the Director-General on his recent election. Both parties alluded to and valued the strong and longstanding partnership of over 30 years between the Organization and Cabo Verde.

The Minister for Agriculture and Environment highlighted the urgent need for sustainable water resource management programmes in Cabo Verde, as the country is facing its third consecutive year of drought. He expressed appreciation for the Organization’s support in addressing the adverse effects of the drought by restoring and improving the sustainability and resilience of livestock-based livelihoods.

The Director-General presented the Organization’s new Hand-in-Hand initiative, which prioritizes targeted work that benefits people in the world’s most vulnerable regions. The Minister commended the Director General for his vision and this initiative.