Morocco, Spain discuss regional food security
Morocco’s role in regional food security was the focus of talks between Minister of Agriculture, Mohamed Sadiki, and his Spanish counterpart, Luis Planas.
The talks, held on the sidelines of the 43rd session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held in Rome July 1 – 7, provided an opportunity to examine several issues of common interest, at both national and regional levels, including value chains, water, irrigation and animal and plant health.
“As one of the most developed countries in Africa, Morocco can play a central role in eradicating problems linked to hunger and undernourishment on the continent”, the Spanish minister, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union from Saturday July 1, told MAP.
Praising Morocco’s action in this area, the official pointed out that food sovereignty is one of the priorities of the Spanish presidency of the EU Council.
The Moroccan official on his part said the meeting discussed technical and economic agricultural cooperation between Rabat and Madrid, and the importance of the Moroccan-Spanish sanitary agreement, which guarantees a rapid flow and dynamic of trade in the sector between the two countries and naturally between Africa and Europe. He also underlined the importance of triangular cooperation in meeting the challenges facing the Mediterranean basin.
During the meeting, Sadiki reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to food security issues at national and regional level, an urgent matter to which Morocco attaches the utmost importance.
The FAO 43rd conference features a series of high-level roundtables on integrated water resources management and will elect the organization’s Director General for the next four years (2023-2027), probably the incumbent Director-General, QU Dongyu of China, who was first elected in June 2019. He is standing unopposed to be re-elected. FAO chiefs may serve only two consecutive four-year terms.
As FAO’s supreme governing body, the Conference also makes recommendations on global food and agricultural issues, and examines global governance policy issues.
The FAO Ministerial Conference is held every two years to approve the work program and budget of the UN organization for the following biennium.
