Asunción, IP Agency.- The Paraguayan Government, in coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Office in the country, is preparing its participation in the Investment Forum, which will take place from October 17 to 20 in Rome, Italy, as part of the World Food Forum 2023. The arrangements are organized by FAO, the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Paraguay.
Paraguay’s presence will be through the representation of high authorities of the government and the productive sector to present the potential of the country’s agricultural sector, during the Investment Forum which brings together the countries participating in the Hand in Hand Initiative. During the Forum, national authorities will present investment opportunities to businesses, multilateral development banks and donors, among other participants.
At the Forum, Paraguay will present to the international community two investment notes prepared through a strong public-private alliance, aimed at attracting private investment or financing from multilateral organizations. The projects that will be presented are linked to the dairy sector and banana production. The notes were taken using the Hand in Hand methodology.
To organize Paraguay’s presence at the Forum, in particular to examine the FAO cooperation agenda in the country, the FAO Representative in Paraguay, Agustín Zimmermann; the head of the FAO Office in Paraguay, Fabiola Alcorta, and members of the organization’s specialized staff held a series of meetings with government authorities.
A first meeting took place with the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Giménez, with whom the areas of cooperation were reviewed, in particular actions to strengthen the agricultural sector. In this sense, he mentioned the Government’s priority lines in terms of agriculture and livestock, supporting family farming and food security. During the meeting, Paraguay’s presence at the Forum, which will take place from October 16 to 20, was discussed.
On the same subjects, the FAO representative and the head of the Office met at the presidential residence Mburuvicha Róga with the chief of staff of the presidency, Lea Giménez. Also at the Chancellery with the Alternate Minister of Foreign Relations, Juan Baiardi; Deputy Minister of Administration and Technical Questions; the private secretary and advisor, Eliana Duarte, and Lilian Rojas, of the Directorate of Multilateral Economic Organizations.
World Food Forum
As part of the World Food Forum, the Hand in Hand initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing a second edition of the Inversions Forum. This event will take place from October 17 to 20, 2023. It will provide a unique platform for the 30 countries of the initiative to present their impact investment opportunities to businesses, multilateral development banks, donors, investors and others. other key players. The Forum seeks to encourage international cooperation and generate constructive dialogue to stimulate economic development for the sustainable transformation of food systems in various regions of the world.
The Hand in Hand initiative and emphasis on investment
The Hand in Hand initiative, launched in 2019 worldwide and currently developed in 66 countries, aims to encourage sustainable investments, particularly in the agricultural, food and rural sectors, by prioritizing countries with the highest rates of poverty and hunger are greatest, where national capacities are limited or operational difficulties are more significant due to natural or human crises.
Its main objective is to strengthen the capacity of countries to attract investments and mobilize financial resources to support their agri-food systems, reduce poverty and promote inclusive economic growth with a territorial approach. The initiative is led and implemented by counties, which recognize that private investment and collaboration between the public and private sectors are essential to achieving these goals.
According to FAO Chief Economist, Máximo Torero Cullen, “the country-led and country-led Hand in Hand initiative uses cutting-edge geospatial tools, science-based solutions and innovation to identify areas priorities, where, through concrete interventions, it aims to improve farmers’ incomes and reduce rural poverty in an effective and sustainable manner.
Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the initiative works with 14 countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic). In addition, this project is being developed as part of a regional initiative, Hand in Hand, for the Dry Corridor and Arid Zones.
National authorities will outline investment opportunities to businesses, multilateral development banks and donors at the Forum. Emphasis will be placed on the development potential of the agricultural sector, particularly small and medium-sized family farms and national businesses. Eleven investment plans will be presented, covering 31 sectors, the most notable being coffee, bananas, cocoa and the dairy chain.
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