World Food Day 2024: Mustapha calls for action on food security

During the World Food Day exhibition at the Bourda Cricket Ground in Georgetown, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha emphasised that this year’s theme – ‘Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future’ – is a call to action.

Mustapha highlighted that access to nutritious, safe, and sustainable food is essential for human dignity and is the foundation of a better future.

“The right to food is not simply about survival; it is about thriving, surviving, people’s well-being, having the energy to work, the strength to learn, and the hope to build a better life,” Minister Mustapha said.

While highlighting that progress has been made, hunger and food insecurity remain challenges due to climate change, conflict, poverty, and inequality around the globe.

“As we mark World Food Day today, let us reaffirm our commitment to the right to food for everyone, everywhere. Together, with the right investments and strategic partnerships, we can build a future where no one goes hungry and where food security becomes the foundation of sustainable development,” Minister Mustapha stated.

The agriculture minister further noted that Guyana is actively working to ensure that every citizen has access to nutritious food while contributing to regional food security efforts in the Caribbean.

“Undernourishment in Guyana has fallen below 2.5 per cent, a figure well below the regional average of 6.6 per cent and the global average of 9.1 per cent.

“In the area of food insecurity, we have also made tremendous progress; the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity stands at 25.5 per cent, lower than the regional average of 31 per cent,” Mustapha stated.

The minister also brought attention to the “revolution” in Guyana’s agricultural sector, with new areas of production emerging and efforts focused on reducing trade barriers within the region.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernising and expanding agricultural production through innovation and technology, including projects like hydroponics and shade houses.

“In Guyana today, we have the largest hydroponics farm in the Caribbean, and in a few months’ time, we will be constructing another three of these farms in Regions 2, 5, and 10,” the minister said.

Mustapha also pointed to the growing involvement of young people in agriculture and the country’s investment in research and development. Guyana is also working with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to build a Centre of Excellence for digital agriculture and precision farming.

“By embracing innovation and harnessing new technology, we are transforming our agriculture sector,” Mustapha said, pointing to drones now being used for crop management, and extension officers utilising tablets to collect real-time data through the recently launched Agriculture Information System.

In brief remarks, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) representative to Guyana, Dr Gillian Smith, referenced the FAO’s 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, which revealed that 730 million people worldwide face hunger, while more than 2.8 billion cannot afford healthy diets.

“There is no time to lose, and we must take action immediately. We must work together,” Dr Smith urged.