Bilateral meeting with H.E. Jorge Luis Tapia Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba

Rome - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met H.E. Jorge Luis Tapia Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba on the sidelines of the World Food Forum 2024 in Rome.

The Director-General welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba and recalled their productive meetings at the Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC38) in Georgetown, Guyana, and during the Director-General's official visit to Havana, Cuba, in September 2023, on the occasion of the G77+China Summit.

The Deputy Prime Minister conveyed greetings from the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet. He commended the Director-General's significant achievements in combating hunger. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the importance of FAO's assistance in projects aimed at increasing the production of various agricultural products, and announced that Cuba would be submitting new project proposals under the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative, particularly in the areas of agritourism and agroecology.

The Director-General acknowledged Cuba's commendable agricultural practices and progress and reaffirmed FAO's unwavering support for the country's agrifood system. The Director-General underscored the vital role of youth and women in rural regions in food production, and suggested training 100 young leaders to promote the Four Betters integration approach.

The pair exchanged views on the importance of enhancing production and productivity through technical support and innovation. They discussed strategies to increase the value of agricultural products and achieve a transformative shift in agrifood systems.