The member countries of LARC39 (39th Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for Latin America and the Caribbean) signed this Friday (6) a term of commitment to combat hunger and inequalities in the region in the next biennium. The document is the result of technical discussions that took place throughout the week and its main point is investment in sustainability in rural production, a point defended by the Brazilian presidency of the conference.
During this week, member countries discussed the implementation of the production system to prioritize environmental conservation, an aspect defended by the co-president of the Conference and minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming, Paulo Teixeira.
“We live at a time when the green revolution paradigm is over. This model is harmful to the environment. Agroecology is the new model. It will be a transition from chemical-based agriculture to biological-based, which is already being adopted by Brazil”, defended the minister.
In addition to reducing environmental impacts in agricultural production, authorities present at the conference discussed solutions to mitigate hunger. In the final report, the nations sought to strengthen small producers and plantations with less environmental impact.
Family farming
“There was certainly a strong participation from member countries at the conference, calling for the strengthening of small family production, the agroecological approach, the strengthening of production systems that are not harmful to the ecosystem and the environment and promoting local knowledge and science”, explained the FAO regional representative, René Orellana.
One of the suggestions presented at the opening of the conference on Monday (2) in Colombia was the adoption of family farming as an alternative to fighting hunger, but the topic was not included in the final edition.
“Some countries proposed and incorporated the proposal. It is a topic that was presented at a conference in Colombia, but did not become part of the final document. Countries showed interest, but it was not included in the final version,” Orellana told CNN.
According to the representative, Brazil’s leadership was fundamental for the articulation of an agreement that strengthens cooperation between member countries: “Very close coordination with the ministers and the president was decisive in the conference. The Government of Brazil teaches lessons to the countries of the world, through the management of the fight against hunger and the use of financial resources”.
The next edition of LARC will be in El Salvador in 2028. FAO’s expectation is that in the next biennium member countries will make progress in combating hunger and nutrition, in addition to increasing investment in sustainability and adaptations to climate change.
