The FAO offices for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Liaison Office in Brussels organized the meeting, which is expected to continue in the future, the UN agency said here.

Held in Brussels, Belgium, the forum brought together government representatives from member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the entity promoting the analysis, European Union (EU) institutions, parliamentarians and non-state actors.

According to the source, the high-level meeting served to discuss challenges and opportunities, ‘given the new and pressing global challenges’, and to examine the update of the Celac Food and Nutritional Security Plan 2030.

Closer work between EU institutions and Celac can help attract more investment, boost trade and the use of modern technologies to unleash the full potential of Latin America and the Caribbean, said the Minister of Agriculture of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and President pro tempore of Celac, Saboto Caesar, at the meeting.

According to FAO assistant director general and regional representative for the area, Mario Lubetkin, talks between the two blocs will strengthen multilateral cooperation at a time when there is an urgent need to address the international commitments of the 2030 Agenda and the complex challenges surrounding food security.

‘In the framework of different agreements and cooperation programs with the EU, we are developing very relevant initiatives to transform agri-food systems,’ the official considered.

The new Celac 2030 Food and Nutritional Security Plan, validated in January 2024 by the Ministers of Agriculture, ‘is an excellent opportunity to strengthen and open new ways of cooperation between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean,’ Lubetkin pointed out.

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