The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) has pledged support for food security in Liberia.
According to FAO’s Representative, Mariatou Njie, FAO is working closely with the Liberian government and stakeholders to improve national policies and implement and monitor progress in line with the overall vision and aspiration to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition across the country.
Njie made the statement Thursday at the National Tree Crop Policy seminar, held at a local hotel in Monrovia.
“To succeed in this, we need to strengthen our partnership to work together in a broader and deeper manner,” she stated.
She noted that this can expedite social progress, enhance food security, protect the environment, drive economic growth and create a more just, stable and peaceful society.
Njie underscored that whether it is rubber, cocoa, oil palm, coffee, citrus, mango, cashew, kola or coconut, active investment in tree crop can potentially lead to structural transformation, poverty reduction and sustained food security.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister, Jeanine Cooper, said the government will create the enabling environment to strengthen the private sector.
Minister Cooper stated that the agriculture actors within the private sector should begin to manufacture rubber products such as rain boots.
She indicated that tree crops have been the backbone of the Liberian agriculture sector since the 18th century, and that to enhance the agriculture sector the value added chain components should be prioritized.
Minister Cooper maintained that any policy relating to tree crop should include stakeholders in the private sector, who are the key drivers of the sector.