Read-out of the FAO Director-General’s meeting with Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi

Rome - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu today met with Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi.

President Ndayishimiye commended the Director-General for his vision and achievements, as well as the strong partnership and collaboration between FAO and Republic of Burundi, noting the importance the Organization has for the country. He shared with the Director General his vision of “Every mouth should have food and every pocket money”. He outlined his vision for cooperation with the Organization for further development of the agriculture sector, including all aspects of the value chain, and underlined the need for innovation, increased investment and capacity development as key elements.

The President proceeded to also share with the Director-General the details of how he was reforming the country to ensure food security as well as economic development through the National Development Plan of Burundi (2018-2027), as an ambitious and transformative programme that can accelerate the process of socio-economic development.

The Director-General thanked the President and noted the accomplishments of the Republic of Burundi in the agrifood sector, horticulture, animal husbandry and aquaculture since his election. He shared with the President that in order to promote agrifood systems transformation, MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems are vital to create new opportunities. He complemented this with the importance of partnerships that can provide both technical and financial support to the sectors and improve the full value chain, creating new employment opportunities for youth and women.

The Director-General proceeded to share with the President the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 which is supporting the Agenda 2030 under the four betters better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life leaving no one behind. He noted that in order to achieve food security a circular economy is crucial and outlined stability, improved quality and variety as well as income generation as key steps. In the specific context, Director-General noted the important work being carried out in the maize sector in Burundi and how this could be extended to aquaculture.

In conclusion the Director-General shared with the President the FAO Hand in Hand initiative and the Green Cities initiative that could support the better design of urbanization and industrialization efforts in Burundi.

The President and the Director-General confirmed their commitment to a continued strong partnership.