FAO hails Guyana’s leadership on food security as Agriculture Month opens
As Guyana launched Agriculture Month 2025 under the theme “Transforming Livelihoods through Agri-Food Systems,” the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) praised the country’s strong role in shaping regional food security and building resilient food systems.
FAO’s representative in Guyana, Dr. Gillian Smith, described the theme as “very inspiring,” noting that it speaks not only to agriculture but also to the nation’s wider progress. “This theme speaks directly to the heart of FAO’s mission to create inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems that nourish people, that transformation becomes evident and that helps farmers to make the living that they need to make,” Dr. Smith said.
She stressed that Guyana’s commitment is evident both at home and abroad. She pointed to the country’s leadership in CARICOM’s drive to slash the regional food import bill by 25 per cent by 2030, and to the way food system strategies are being integrated into Guyana’s national policies- promoting climate resilience, better nutrition, and economic growth.
Recalling President Irfaan Ali’s address to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Dr. Smith reminded that the survival of people, economies and the planet depends on accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals. “To achieve SDG Goal 2, ending hunger and achieving food security and improved nutrition, requires that we must transform the livelihoods of the very people who are working in our agri-food systems,” she said, adding that agriculture is not only about crops and livestock but also about rural livelihoods, innovation, and national development.
She observed that the very fact that Guyana celebrates Agriculture Month is proof of its commitment to the process. That commitment, she added, is further demonstrated by Guyana’s leadership at the FAO level. Since 2024, Guyana has chaired the FAO Latin America and Caribbean Conference and will continue to do so until 2026. “I know that Guyana is working very closely with the next conference leader, Brazil, to hand over and to ensure that we keep our foot on the gas where food security and food systems transformation are concerned,” she said.
Dr. Smith also outlined FAO’s shared commitment to Guyana, emphasising five key areas: empowering farmers—especially women and youth- with access to technology, finance and markets; supporting livelihoods and rural enterprises through programmes such as the FAO’s small grants initiative; expanding training and skills development; promoting climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land use; and ensuring that every citizen has access to safe, affordable and nutritious food.
“As we mark Agriculture Month, we reaffirm with you our shared commitment,” Dr. Smith said, noting that FAO will continue working alongside Guyana to advance its agricultural transformation.
