In a video message addressed to participants in the Hand-in-Hand Initiative Agroindustrial Business Forum, which will run until Thursday, the head of State addressed the food shortages that are affecting the vast majority of people excluded from progress in this vital area.

At the meeting, conceived as a forum to discuss business opportunities and foreign investment in Cuba aimed at agricultural transformation and sustainable development, the president emphasized that Cuba has been further damaged by the long and profound impact of the tightened blockade policy on the economy as a whole, which explains the accumulated debts in agricultural development and food production.

In this regard, he stated that Cuba urgently needs foreign direct investment in these areas and that the country is open to all proposals.

Diaz-Canel emphasized that the recent visit by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, was instrumental in strengthening the country’s participation in this valuable initiative.

The Hand-in-Hand Iniciative provides the opportunity to present prioritized national investment plans and detail opportunities in areas where the country could be supported.

He highlighted Cuba’s strategic location, which facilitates access to Latin American markets; its trained human resources to operate in various productive sectors; and investment in research and development, an area with opportunities for technological innovation.

Cuba also has industrial, productive, hydraulic, and electrical infrastructure under strengthening, and regional and local soil and climate studies, ensuring investors a favorable environment to maximize their projects. More than 11,000 medium-sized, small, and microenterprises are participating.

Diaz-Canel also noted the importance of the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, as it would also strengthen the commitment to sustainable development and food security, creating strategic alliances that boost productive capacities to address current challenges.

By strengthening investments in these areas, we seek to meet domestic demand and improve the country’s export capabilities, all in line with the national priorities expressed in the Food Sovereignty and Security and Nutritional Education Law, the Life Task, and the National Economic and Social Development Plan.

The Agroindustrial Business Forum of the “Hand-in-Hand” Initiative is being held as part of the International Agricultural Fair (March 17-23), sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Cuban Ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Trade and Investment.

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