Bilateral meeting with H.E. Youcef Cherfa, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Siracusa - On the margins of the G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting in Siracusa, Italy, the FAO Director-General met with H.E. Youcef Cherfa, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

The Director-General appreciated the collaboration with Algeria and conveyed his congratulations for the recent election of the President, highlighting the importance of political stability for effective development.  

The Director-General referred to the recent conference on Geographical Indications held on the margins of the G7 meeting and that Algeria should consider including products such as cous-cous as a GI product.

The Minister recalled with satisfaction the latest visit of the Director-General paid to Algeria, and thanked the Director-General for the good collaboration, especially through the Technical Cooperation Programme, as well as for the support provided by FAO in the recent agricultural census undertaken. The Minister also highlighted joint work in projects in the forestry sector to enhance national parks, as well as in animal health, and for the preservation of local seeds.

The Director-General looked forward to increased collaboration with Algeria especially on matters such as the monitoring of agriculture and water resources management, and on the important role of women and youth in agrifood systems. The Director-General agreed on the importance of the agricultural census as it was key in gathering data from rural areas to have a comprehensive picture of biodiversity and the food situation in the country.

The Director-General also referred to the recently established Algerian Agency of International Cooperation for Solidarity and Development noting that it should prioritize support to other African countries, including by working in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Algeria and FAO.

The Minister stated that Algeria looked forward to sharing its experience with other African countries, especially in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and to promote food security.

The Director-General further noted the importance of supporting food safety laboratories to monitor food safety and promote free trade across the African continent, noting the importance of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in this regard.