Venezuela requested on Monday for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to mediate before the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the efforts made by the country to eliminate the aphtose fever.
“Venezuela requested FAO and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to promote and intercede with the Pan American Aphtose Fever Center (PANAFTOSA) to acknowledge our country’s efforts in the vaccination plans for the eradication of the aphtose fever in our territory”, refers the Ministry of Agriculture on its account on the Twitter social network.
Similarly, it was requested for Venezuela to be certified as a country free of this disease, which affects animals with split or cloven hoofs, because the South American nation complied “with all animal health protocols for such certification”.
At the end of February, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, decreed Venezuela as a territory free of aphtose fever, according to international certification standards.
“In the national and international effort that must continue to be made to continue guaranteeing Venezuela’s freedom from aphtose fever, I formally decree to certify and register our country as an aphtose fever-free zone”, he said at the time.
During the videoconference – led by Deputy Minister Tibisay León together with Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs Alexander Yánez – the Venezuelan authorities reiterated their rejection of all coercive measures imposed by the United States (US) against the country, which impact on food security.
“Venezuela expressed its rejection to all the unilateral coercive measures exercised by the U.S. government due to their negative effects on human rights and the right to development in particular, because of their impact on food security”, stressed the ministerial entity.
“These measures affect and prevent access and trade in agriculture and foodstuffs, even more in times of the Covid-19 pandemic”, added the Ministry of Agriculture in the social network.
On 16 July, FAO will present its “Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029” to guide national, regional and global markets for agricultural commodities, biofuels and fish in the coming decade.
The initiative will include recommendations from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and will include an analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on the agro-alimentary system.
