A Memorandum of Understanding, signed here today by Patrick Ignatius Gomes, Secretary General of the ACP Group, and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, is geared in particular towards supporting the 79 ACP member countries work towards achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals that will be agreed later this year.

The ACP Group and FAO pledged to “strengthen their cooperation in support of actions contributing to better address the continuing food insecurity and malnutrition, hunger, natural resource management and climate change challenges in the ACP Group Member States.”

Priority areas of collaboration will be identified by ACP members. Projects to harness private-sector support in building efficient and inclusive agricultural value chains and helping smallholder farmers meet export market regulatory requirements will be a central focus. Other measures will aim at hunger eradication, better nutrition and sustainable economic practices.

Available: http://en.starafrica.com/news/african-caribbean-and-pacific-group-of-states-deepen-ties-with-fao.html