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00:00:38Breaking news, we're going directly to the FAO with
00:00:42the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz Canel, we hear:
00:00:45The FAO organizes, mobilizing the international
00:00:50and young people, that's what community to reflect and act on one of the
00:00:52most urgent challenges of our time,
00:00:55guaranteeing the human right to food.
00:00:59We live in a world beset by serious global problems, which
00:01:03nonetheless have unequal impacts at the
00:01:07territorial level. Armed conflicts, the
00:01:10increasingly severe effects of climate change, recurrent
00:01:14economic crises,
00:01:1714.1% of geopolitical tensions and growing
00:01:19inequalities affect developing countries more
00:01:23intensely and painfully, where millions
00:01:26of people continue to suffer from hunger, food
00:01:30insecurity, and malnutrition.
00:01:33In the scenario described, public policies for the
00:01:37transformation of agrifood systems are
00:01:41not just a technical priority imposed by development.
00:01:45They demand, above all, an
00:01:47rebuild itself from ethical and political responsibility from all
00:01:50governments. For Cuba, which faces the
00:01:54accumulated effects of more than six decades of economic, commercial, and
00:01:58financial blockade by the government of the United
00:02:01States, a policy that severely
00:02:03limits access to
00:02:06necessary components to markets, technologies, financing,
00:02:09fuel, and essential supplies.
00:02:13These challenges take on a particularly complex
00:02:16dimension, to which since January of this
00:02:22we have begun to year, the imposition of a criminal energy blockade
00:02:24brutally impacts
00:02:26knowledge at the service of the national economy and the daily life of our
00:02:30people and people. Faced with these circumstances that
00:02:33directly affect agricultural production, food
00:02:37processing, refrigeration,
00:02:39transport, distribution, and logistics,
00:02:43Cuba has chosen to act, taking on each challenge
00:02:46as an opportunity to accelerate structural transformations
00:02:49that strengthen our
00:02:52resilience. We are promoting profound changes
00:02:56food security, derived from to transform food systems,
00:02:58strengthen food production, expand
00:03:02territorial development,
00:03:057.8% of innovation, and advance the energy transition of local food systems.
00:03:09Few nations face
00:03:13such complex challenges, persisting in the effort to continue
00:03:16advancing, even under extraordinarily
00:03:19adverse conditions.
00:03:22Today, I want to thank, on behalf of our people and government, the
00:03:26accompaniment of the FAO in these efforts,
00:03:30by mobilizing almost 100 million dollars in support of national
00:03:34challenges, providing resources,
00:03:37knowledge, assistance, and capacities to
00:03:41strengthen strategic sectors, promote
00:03:44local food systems, and increase
00:03:47resilience to climate change.
00:03:50Please accept our most sincere gratitude for this permanent,
00:03:53respectful, and
00:03:56supportive support. We also acknowledge the support of the
00:03:59FAO for the inclusion of our country
00:04:02in the global alliance against hunger and
00:04:06poverty, a platform that opens
00:04:09opportunities to mobilize resources, share
00:04:12knowledge, and build
00:04:14alliances. As part of this alliance, Cuba currently
00:04:18presents two preliminary plans of high social
00:04:22value added, designed to directly benefit the most
00:04:26vulnerable sectors of the nation. Both
00:04:29aim to strengthen food security
00:04:33as a fundamental pillar for development through
00:04:36inclusive and sustainable territorial
00:04:39solutions, which seek to protect families at
00:04:42greater risk, expand access
00:04:45to nutritious food,
00:04:48correspondent in Mexico, and consolidate resilient
00:04:50local systems. These initiatives confirm
00:04:54our proven willingness to advance with responsibility,
00:04:57creativity, and social commitment, even in
00:05:01the midst of the most complex
00:05:03circumstances. We also reaffirm
00:05:07our commitment to the Hand-in-Hand initiative, which promotes
00:05:11investments based on advanced geospatial
00:05:14models, market analysis, and strategic
00:05:17alliances to accelerate the transformation
00:05:20of agrifood systems.
00:05:24We also appreciate the opportunity to present, within
00:05:28the framework of this global forum, two new
00:05:30projects linked to productive chains of high strategic
00:05:34value for Cuba, such as coffee and honey.
00:05:37These sectors present opportunities for rural
00:05:41development, income generation,
00:05:44employment, environmental sustainability, and the
00:05:48strengthening of the livelihoods of thousands of Cuban
00:05:51families. Cuban coffee and honey are products with
00:05:55identity, tradition, and growth
00:05:58potential. Their strengthening contributes to
00:06:01revitalizing rural territories, improving
00:06:04climate resilience, and expanding export
00:06:08opportunities.
00:06:10The response to food
00:06:13challenges cannot be built from isolation;
00:06:16no country should face hunger, poverty, or the
00:06:20consequences of global crises alone. Today, more
00:06:23than ever, we need to strengthen multilateralism,
00:06:26defend the role of international organizations, and promote
00:06:30cooperation based on solidarity,
00:06:33respect, and shared responsibility.
00:06:35Esteemed colleagues, in the
00:06:39year of the centenary of the birth of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro,
00:06:43we remember his permanent defense of the right of all peoples to
00:06:46development, to food, to a
00:06:50dignified life. That legacy continues to inspire
00:06:53Cuba's efforts to build a more
00:06:57just and sustainable society. That legacy also sustains the
00:07:01will to continue working with the FAO
00:07:04to advance towards more resilient, inclusive,
00:07:07and sustainable food
00:07:10systems. Access to food cannot be a privilege; it
00:07:14must be a right for all human beings. Thank
00:07:17you very much.
00:07:22And through videoconference at the forum, precisely,
00:07:26at the world forum, we were listening to
00:07:30Miguel Díaz Canel, the leader Miguel Díaz Canel, who
00:07:34said that food cannot be a privilege, but
00:07:38rather a right. He also spoke about the Cuban
00:07:43the sanctions by the United States that are
00:07:46precisely harming the largest
00:07:49of the Antilles. Let's remember that in Rome, Italy, this
00:07:53world food forum, FAO
00:07:562026, started, where various political leaders, delegates,
00:07:59and scientists are debating how to transform agrifood
00:08:03systems in the face of the difficulties faced by
00:08:08the climate crisis, rising prices, and also the war
00:08:12conflicts. And in this context, we heard
00:08:15precisely the Cuban leader Miguel
00:08:18Díaz Canel. Thank you very much for joining us, we
00:08:22will continue with more later.
00:15:48interim president of Elsis Rodríguez, Joan Manuel
00:15:51Gonzálvez and his first
00:15:54lady.
00:15:57Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, I want
00:16:00to take this opportunity to congratulate this brotherly
00:16:04neighboring country for the extraordinary achievements
00:16:07made in the eradication
00:16:10of hunger and poverty.
00:16:13Citizen María José Pinto, Vice President of the
00:16:17Republic of Ecuador, heads of
00:16:20delegations, ambassadors and ambassadors before
00:16:24this organization, citizen
00:16:26director. The Bolivarian Republic of
00:16:29Venezuela arrives at this world
00:16:33food forum with a
00:16:36conviction.
00:16:38Food is an inalienable
00:16:41right, directly linked to
00:16:44life, dignity, and the comprehensive
00:16:48development of people. Guaranteeing that
00:16:51right requires inclusive
00:16:55and sustained public policies, but
00:16:59it also requires production,
00:17:02investment, science, technology,
00:17:05financing, and
00:17:08it requires peace and an international
00:17:11system capable of cooperating,
00:17:14even above our differences.
00:17:17We come from a country that has learned to
00:17:21rise, to
00:17:24its own capabilities and
00:17:27to
00:17:30look forward with confidence and
00:17:33hope, a country that seeks
00:17:37to do so. I want to take this opportunity to
00:17:41thank this organization,
00:17:44I want to take this opportunity to
00:17:47thank this organization, the World
00:17:50Food Program, for the support that God
00:17:54gives. This calls us to place
00:17:57science, technology, innovation, investment, and
00:18:00traditional
00:18:03people, to transform our
00:18:07system, agrifood problems, and above all,
00:18:10to ensure that solutions effectively
00:18:13reach producers,
00:18:17those who still face hunger and
00:18:20malnutrition. Excellencies,
00:18:23director, the current situation challenges
00:18:27us. Leaders have already referred
00:18:30to the fact that despite recent advances,
00:18:34645 million people continue
00:18:37to suffer from hunger. This figure is equivalent to
00:18:43the world's population, but also more than
00:18:472 billion face some degree of food
00:18:50insecurity, and thousands of millions of
00:18:53people still cannot economically
00:18:56access a healthy
00:18:59diet. It is estimated that hunger affected
00:19:02the world in 2025,
00:19:06throwing for the first time in the same year in
00:19:10history, two simultaneous
00:19:12famines, Gaza Strip and regions
00:19:15of Sudan.
00:19:17We also live with a paradox that is difficult to
00:19:21accept. Humanity today has productive,
00:19:24scientific, and technological capabilities,
00:19:27as never before known.
00:19:30However, simultaneously,
00:19:33while millions of people lack
00:19:37sufficient food, a considerable proportion of the
00:19:40food we produce is lost after harvest
00:19:43or ends up being wasted.
00:19:47Therefore, we must improve storage
00:19:51and transport, guarantee access to
00:19:54food, protect our soils and
00:19:58our waters, preserve biodiversity, and
00:20:02build agrifood systems
00:20:04capable of resisting the increasing effects of the
00:20:08climate crisis, including
00:20:11the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon that today affects
00:20:15a good part of our developing countries, including
00:20:18Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, as
00:20:22other authorities have stated. The
00:20:25agricultural calendar is no longer dictated by tradition,
00:20:29but by the climate crisis. Therefore,
00:20:32financing is required for agricultural
00:20:35adaptation, early warning systems, and productive
00:20:38empowerment driven by artificial intelligence.
00:20:42Distinguished director,
00:20:46excellencies, food should never
00:20:50become an instrument of political
00:20:54pressure or confrontation.
00:20:56Wherever differences exist between
00:20:59states, dialogue and diplomacy must
00:21:03prevail, and wherever hunger
00:21:06exists, our common responsibility must
00:21:09be to find solutions. Therefore,
00:21:12from this platform, we insist
00:21:16on our call to end the application
00:21:18of measures that, outside international law, have
00:21:22negative implications
00:21:25for the realization of the right to food.
00:21:28Venezuela
00:21:32knows both the advances and setbacks in the
00:21:36fight against hunger. Our country made significant
00:21:40progress during the first decades of this century,
00:21:43recognized by this very organization. In
00:21:472013, the FAO counted
00:21:51Venezuela among the countries that had met
00:21:54international goals for hunger reduction.
00:21:57Venezuela had gone from 2.8 million
00:22:00people in a state of undernourishment,
00:22:03equivalent to
00:22:07the population in 1990,
00:22:10to less than 5%.
00:22:13Unfortunately, a very
00:22:17difficult period followed. Venezuela
00:22:20faced a profound internal political
00:22:24confrontation that caused a sharp
00:22:26contraction of our economy, a
00:22:29situation that worsened from 2017
00:22:32with the progressive imposition of unilateral
00:22:36coercive measures. These measures, which in the
00:22:40agrifood sector reached 16%,
00:22:43affected access to financing for
00:22:47agricultural inputs,
00:22:51technologies, spare parts, equipment, and various
00:22:56keep our productive chains
00:22:58functioning. Venezuela then
00:23:02experienced a severe food supply
00:23:05crisis that affected all of
00:23:08society, but
00:23:12reverse that reality. National
00:23:15dialogue with opposition factors, as
00:23:19well as diplomatic dialogue with the United
00:23:22States of America, has added the necessary
00:23:25political stability to produce and
00:23:28grow. A few weeks ago, I announced
00:23:32to the United Nations General Assembly that
00:23:35Venezuela has embarked on an orderly,
00:23:39institutional, and verifiable
00:23:42transformation process. You might ask what
00:23:45this has to do with agriculture, with
00:23:48food, with science.
00:23:50It has everything to do with it. That path, which
00:23:54I have assumed with full conviction,
00:23:56is the basis upon which we will build
00:23:59a new agrifood policy,
00:24:02because no modern food system thrives
00:24:06without legal certainty over land and
00:24:09property, so that those who work the land can
00:24:12invest in it with certainty.
00:24:16Venezuela is part of the countries
00:24:20in the region that has advanced the most
00:24:23recently in the reduction of undernourishment.
00:24:26The indicators show a
00:24:28sustained reduction in the prevalence of undernourishment
00:24:32which reached 5.3%
00:24:35in
00:24:372025, according to figures from this
00:24:40organization, and which this year is already
00:24:443%. This recovery is beginning to be reflected
00:24:48there also where it matters most: among our boys
00:24:52and girls, in children under 5 years
00:24:55old, acute malnutrition decreased
00:24:58from 14.8% in 2019 to
00:25:021.3% in 2025.
00:25:06This nutritional recovery is also
00:25:10reflected in other indicators:
00:25:13exclusive breastfeeding
00:25:16today reaches 73.
00:25:207%, being one of the highest values
00:25:24in our region.
00:25:27Thus, Venezuela has proven
00:25:30experience in the eradication of hunger, as
00:25:34recognized by the FAO. We are very
00:25:37close to achieving it again, with more
00:25:40robust social feeding programs and with a
00:25:44great national effort, I want to announce
00:25:48from this platform the Venezuela Food
00:25:52Plan to integrate all food
00:25:55production processes into the
00:25:58achievement of this supreme
00:26:00objective.
00:26:03Also, to further refine this
00:26:07achievement, I announce that I will present
00:26:10to the Venezuelan parliament in the coming
00:26:14days a new law for the local
00:26:17economy, which will allow, together with the communal
00:26:21economy, community economy and entrepreneurship
00:26:24economy, the integration productive chain for
00:26:28food production with the great agri-food industry.
00:26:32All of us, without
00:26:35exception, will contribute to
00:26:38this higher
00:26:42goal, but the
00:26:45recovery is not limited to the supply that
00:26:49today in Venezuela is full. The
00:26:52utilization of our agro-industrial
00:26:55capacity went from 66%
00:26:59in 2021 to 78%
00:27:03in 2022, accompanied by new productive alliances and a
00:27:06progressive substitution of imports. On
00:27:10the other hand, our social
00:27:14protection policy seeks to ensure
00:27:17that this recovery of boys and girls in public schools
00:27:20and our food programs
00:27:23cover more than 5 million families in
00:27:26Venezuela. These advances allow
00:27:30us to look forward with... but not with
00:27:34self-satisfaction, because behind every
00:27:38percentage there is a
00:27:40person, and as long as there is a family that
00:27:44faces food insecurity, a girl, a boy who cannot
00:27:48fully develop their capabilities for nutritional
00:27:51reasons, or a community whose
00:27:54access to food is vulnerable, our
00:27:58task will remain unfinished. That
00:28:01is why... Venezuela does not come to Rome
00:28:05only to explain how much it has advanced, we also
00:28:08come to share how we intend to close the remaining
00:28:12gap and move decisively towards the
00:28:15fulfillment of the second sustainable development
00:28:18goal, zero hunger. Our
00:28:21aspiration is clear: that Venezuela will once
00:28:24again reach levels compatible
00:28:27with zero hunger before the
00:28:29year 2030.
00:28:33Director. Excellencies,
00:28:36Venezuela, as everyone knows, possesses
00:28:39important energy strengths. Our
00:28:42aspiration is to use these
00:28:45strengths to build the productive
00:28:48capacities of the future. We want
00:28:51to convert part of our energy revenue into permanent
00:28:54productive capacity. Energy wealth can and must
00:28:57become a lever to guarantee
00:29:01agricultural production, so that people can afford quality
00:29:04food and the processes of nature are
00:29:07respected through regenerative
00:29:10agriculture. How can we think
00:29:14and believe that
00:29:17we are going to guarantee and nourish the future, guarantee the food
00:29:21processes of the future, if we
00:29:23degrade our soils and our watersheds?
00:29:26Ultimately, it is about
00:29:30moving forward in addressing immediate needs
00:29:33towards sustainable development, from
00:29:36recovery to transformation, and for
00:29:39that we need a truly
00:29:43inclusive multilateralism, capable of
00:29:45accompanying countries, not only in their emergencies,
00:29:49but also in the construction of their
00:29:52future. Excellencies, this
00:29:55transformation has a human face, which is why we are filled
00:29:58with pride that within the framework of the International Year of Women,
00:30:03the FAO has recognized our
00:30:07Maria.