El Salvador is making preparations for a national supply and marketing policy aimed at ensuring food security. The preliminary framework has the support of the FAO and other strategic partners.
Since yesterday, El Salvador has been hosting the meeting of the Regional Network of Public Supply and Marketing Systems (Red SPAA), where Latin American nations will discuss joint strategies to strengthen their food security systems and share successful experiences.
Joao Intini, the technical secretary of Red SPAA, explained that the meeting takes place in the country thanks to an agreement between the Government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“We are gathered here to discuss key issues related to food supply, food marketing, and other important topics for agricultural development, such as training, climate monitoring, and pricing,” he mentioned.
He also announced that after the meetings conclude next Wednesday, they will meet with Salvadoran authorities to design the roadmap for FAO’s technical assistance, as well as assistance from other countries and institutions, for the establishment of a national food supply policy for the population of El Salvador.
In this regard, Cristian Flores, the Commissioner of Strategic Projects, reiterated that with the support of the FAO and other partners in the country, President Nayib Bukele will unveil in the coming days the initiative to create a system for agricultural development and trade.
He stated that this is an initiative of the Government of El Salvador regarding food supply systems based on agricultural production, which was developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the Commission of Strategic Projects of the Presidency of the Republic.
He added that the FAO presented this initiative to the member countries of Red SPAA to learn about similar experiences and gather input for the country.
The formulation of this system takes into account elements such as the digitization of agriculture, adaptation of agriculture to climate change, promotion of sustainable agriculture to meet the demand for organic and sustainable products, investment in research, and technical and economic support to small farmers and cooperatives, among others.
“This is a strategic project of President Nayib Bukele to ensure food security, with multiple development centers strategically located according to our population groups and productive areas,” commented the commissioner.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Óscar Guardado, emphasized that these initiatives are part of the scheme that the Government has been implementing since 2019 to boost national agriculture and all its value chains through the Master Plan for Agricultural Rescue.
In another topic, the minister also highlighted that the Government is working hand in hand with producers in light of the El Niño phenomenon affecting the region, and according to measurements taken to date, no significant damages have been reported.