NUTRITION AND FOOD SAFETY: FAO REGIONAL DIRECTOR ROBERT GUEI INSIST ON THEIR IMPORTANCE

Abidjan, December 09, 2022- The FAO Regional Director for West Africa and the Sahel and Resident Representative for Senegal, Dr Gouantoueu Robert Guéi, said that nutrition calls for food safety, that is to say, eat diversified and healthy foods to provide the body with vital energy.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a panel at the High Level Meeting on the theme of the African Year of Nutrition: ''Building Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent'', the Thursday, December 08, 2022, in Abidjan Sofitel hotel ivoire.

"For the FAO, nutrition starts from genetic resources, goes through the selection of types of varieties and production techniques to prevent the products that come out from being contaminated," explained Dr. Gouantoueu Robert Guéi.

According to him, it is very important for African countries to ensure that agriculture is diversified (breeding, fishing, aquaculture, vegetables, fruits, milk, etc.) to give the necessary energy to our organism.

"Nutrition is very important for the growth of children and therefore for the country's economy, because the development of a country needs well-nourished and vigorous populations", a statement by the FAO regional director.

Indeed, he encouraged African States to increase their agricultural investment budgets, create favorable investment conditions for the private sector to intervene in agriculture. He also asked to develop production infrastructure, train young people, men and women and think about the mechanization of agriculture.

Speaking of Côte d'Ivoire, Gouantoueu Robert Guéi said he was optimistic that in the very near future, with all the policies put in place, Côte d'Ivoire will, if not be self-sufficient in all agricultural products , achieving food sovereignty (i.e. producing locally at all times, in a stable and sustainable way, what we must consume; and consuming locally).

“Côte d’Ivoire is on a very good path. As far as rice is concerned, Côte d'Ivoire is already doing a lot with the Agency for the Development of the RICE sector (ADERIZ) and the Ministry of Agriculture. On mechanization, with the help of certain partners, Côte d'Ivoire even wants to manufacture tractors locally. It has decided to set up agropoles which are agricultural development poles and which will link agricultural production and industrialization. Like cocoa and coffee, with agropoles, all food sectors such as rice, cassava, plantain, yam, etc. will be integrated and transformed,” he said.

Not without ensuring that the FAO will support the Ivorian Government in the development of fisheries and aquaculture.

In terms of aquaculture, Côte d'Ivoire is resolutely committed with the contribution of the FAO. An agreement was recently signed with Côte d'Ivoire on the blue economy (fisheries, aquaculture, etc.) worth nearly $30 million financed by the AfDB.