Bilateral meeting with The Honourable Saboto Caesar, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Rome – On the sidelines of the 44th Session of the FAO Ministerial Conference, the FAO Director-General met today with The Honourable Saboto Caesar, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Director-General welcomed the Minister and praised the partnership with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, noting that FAO played a catalytic role in the country and the region by leveraging key partners, including development financial institutions, to comprehensively address food insecurity, poverty, natural disasters, and climate-related events. He also emphasized the importance of coordination amongst Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) to transform agrifood systems and build collective resilience.

The Minister thanked the Director-General for FAO’s support, noting that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines looked forward to actively participating in the World Food Forum, especially the Youth Assembly, and other FAO-led initiatives. In response to the call for collective action, the Minister emphasized the importance of collaborating with FAO and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and assisting Caribbean countries in facing emergencies.

Finally, the Director-General encouraged the Minister to leverage FAO’s corporate initiatives and capacity to garner support from development partners for the country’s and the region’s prosperity.