FAO’S SUB-REGIONAL COORDINATOR PAYS A COURTESY CALL TO THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND FOREST, LORD FOHE

Sunday, September 10th, 2023

18/08/2023

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forests, Lord Fohe received the first courtesy visit of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Pacific, HE Ms. Xiangjun Yao at the Ministry’s Headquarters at Nukuálofa.
Lord Fohe expressed the Government’s appreciation for the engagement of FAO in Tonga during Ms Yao’s tenure as the FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Pacific. He noted that the country is committed to addressing priorities and objectives set by the Ministry’s Corporate Plan, 23/24 – 25/26 FY, and the FAO Country Program Framework (CPF) 2023-2027. He highlighted the tremendous impacts of climate changes, volcanic eruption, tsunamis, volcanic ash-fall, and war in Europe and the importance of all interventions to contribute significantly to the Food System Transformation to enhance better production, better health, better environment, and better quality of life leaving no one behind. During the meeting, they reviewed the work FAO had been doing in Tonga and discussed how FAO could further collaborate with the Ministry to improve the agricultural sector to address Agri-food System Transformation.
HE Ms Xiangjun Yao responded that FAO continues on with a lot of TCP and Trust Fund Projects to support Tonga in creating resilient Agri-food systems with better production, better health, better environment, and better quality of life leaving no one behind. Tonga has recently benefited from Emergency and Recovery Projects to assist in the rehabilitation of Tonga after the giant volcanic eruption last year.