With the UN-designated International Year of Fruit and Vegetables (IYFV) now in its second month, Guyana, widely regarded as the regional leader of the agricultural sector, has not yet announced its official program of activities to mark the country’s participation in what is being celebrated as a global event.
On December 15 last year, the Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Qu Dongyu launched IYFV with an appeal to countries to seek to improve healthy and sustainable food production through innovation and technology and to reduce the loss of food and waste. Qu, who described the IYFV initiative as “a unique opportunity to raise global awareness.” noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had challenged people to find new ways to combat hunger and malnutrition, and said IYFV would highlight the role of digital technologies in improving nutrition and market opportunities.