NewsWhore
03-18-2010, 04:50 PM
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf has called for some of the $20 billion pledged for farmers in poor countries promised by the G-8 leaders in Italy last July to go to fund an integrated rural development program in Haiti. He spoke at a special session on agriculture of the Technical Preparatory Conference for Haiti hosted by the Dominican government in Santo Domingo.
The FAO says that in close collaboration with the Haitian government it has prepared a US$721 million investment blueprint for the agricultural sector comprising three tracks: development of rural areas, production and development of distribution channels and agricultural services and institutional support.
Diouf said that taking into account the criteria and commitments made at the l'Aquila summit last year, "Haiti could be considered one of the recipient countries" of the G8 funds.
"It is not a question of creating new organizations or institutions. Since the beginning, the Minister for Agriculture has competently and efficiently led operations to revive production and rehabilitate the agricultural infrastructure," said Diouf.
"What we need before anything else is a program document agreed by the beneficiary country and the donor countries."
The Santo Domingo meeting is attended by top officials from 28 Latin American and Caribbean countries and has been held to prepare the way for the Donor Conference on Haiti in New York on 31 March.
Prior to his stopover in Santo Domingo, Diouf visited Haiti where he met with President Rene Preval and other senior government officials, including Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and Minister of Agriculture Joanas Gue that also have been in Santo Domingo for the conference.
The Government of the Dominican Republic and the Government of Haiti are co-chairing the meetings that have been organized with the support of the World Bank and of the Canadian International Development Agency.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
The FAO says that in close collaboration with the Haitian government it has prepared a US$721 million investment blueprint for the agricultural sector comprising three tracks: development of rural areas, production and development of distribution channels and agricultural services and institutional support.
Diouf said that taking into account the criteria and commitments made at the l'Aquila summit last year, "Haiti could be considered one of the recipient countries" of the G8 funds.
"It is not a question of creating new organizations or institutions. Since the beginning, the Minister for Agriculture has competently and efficiently led operations to revive production and rehabilitate the agricultural infrastructure," said Diouf.
"What we need before anything else is a program document agreed by the beneficiary country and the donor countries."
The Santo Domingo meeting is attended by top officials from 28 Latin American and Caribbean countries and has been held to prepare the way for the Donor Conference on Haiti in New York on 31 March.
Prior to his stopover in Santo Domingo, Diouf visited Haiti where he met with President Rene Preval and other senior government officials, including Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and Minister of Agriculture Joanas Gue that also have been in Santo Domingo for the conference.
The Government of the Dominican Republic and the Government of Haiti are co-chairing the meetings that have been organized with the support of the World Bank and of the Canadian International Development Agency.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)