FAO Deepens Belize Partnerships in Agriculture, Education, and Conservation

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is strengthening its ties with Belize through a high-level mission that spanned agriculture, education, biodiversity, and the blue economy.

From February 9–13, FAO Representative Dr. Ana Touza, accompanied by Assistant FAO Representative Alicia Abrahams, met with government officials, national partners, and community stakeholders to advance sustainable development priorities.

Dr. Touza met with Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Agriculture, to discuss the 2026–2028 Technical Cooperation Programme and Belize’s 2027–2031 Country Programming Framework. Key topics included climate-smart agriculture, youth and women in farming, agro-processing, and school garden programmes.

A highlight was Eden Garden SDA Primary School, where FAO-supported covered school gardens teach students about locally grown foods and healthy diets. Following this, Dr. Touza met Ramon Cervantes, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, to explore how FAO can further support nutrition and learning outcomes through school feeding programmes.

The mission also focused on biodiversity, with a visit to Belize’s Maya Golden Landscape alongside the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, showcasing agroforestry, beekeeping, and sustainable forest practices. FAO also engaged with Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy, on sustainable oceans and resilient coastal livelihoods, and with Osmond Martinez, Minister of Economic Development, on agriculture and blue economy priorities.

Dr. Touza said, “This visit underscored the strength of FAO’s partnership with Belize and the importance of coordinated action across agriculture, education, biodiversity, and the blue economy to support resilient livelihoods, healthy diets, and sustainable natural resource management.”

She added that FAO will continue working closely with Belize to deliver integrated solutions under the upcoming CPF and TCP cycles.