The Venezuelan Minister for this portfolio, Wilmar Castro, announced his participation via his Twitter account, indicating that the purpose of the meeting would be to review the current state of agriculture in the group of 33 countries.
He indicated that they would also discuss important issues affecting the sector, explore opportunities for cooperation between CELAC member states and share best practices and experiences.
Venezuela put forward at the meeting the proposal to take over pro tempore the presidency of the Latin American and Caribbean integration bloc, held by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to amend the “Plan SAN Celac” as part of the heads of state’s commitments on sovereignty and food security.
According to a document circulated here in the press, the Bolivarian Republic proposed strengthening the consumption habits of its ancestors and facilitating access to food that complements the local diet, making logistical, administrative and customs processes viable.
He also proposed the formation of a large petrochemical consortium for Latin America and the Caribbean, which would guarantee access to the fertilizers and polymers needed for food production and processing at fair prices and without tariff barriers.
The document also spelled out the creation of a “solid intra-regional financial structure,” which is an exclusive loan portfolio for agricultural production activities while giving priority to the most vulnerable countries.
This must go hand in hand with an incentive plan for financial investments by economic players in the region, he stressed.
He also considered allocating some of the funds made available by the FAO to a special approach to the Republic of Haiti to “move this sister country towards sustainability and agrarian and food sovereignty”.
Another proposal was the establishment of a Latin American and Caribbean seed and animal genetics bank.
The text, signed by the Venezuelan Minister of Agriculture, confirmed the condemnation and rejection of the unilateral coercive measures imposed on the countries and peoples of the region, and called for their immediate suppression.
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