ALBA Members Review Food Access Strategies Amidst COVID-19

Ministers of Agriculture of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) analyzed on Thursday actions to guarantee food to their populations in the coronavirus context pandemic.

Venezuelan Minister of Agriculture, Wilmar Castro, explained in a message on his Twitter account that in the meeting, developed virtually, the impacts on the agri-food sector of the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed.

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The objective of the meeting was to establish strategic actions and joint response, "in order to guarantee food to our peoples," added the Venezuelan official.

On behalf of Venezuela, Castro urged the ALBA-TCP countries to generate joint strategies to facilitate food production and distribution, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

"Meeting of the High Authorities of the Agricultural Area of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas-People's Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), February 18, 2021, virtual format."

The minister expressed the need to create methodologies to improve issues related to the river, maritime and air transportation, new financial elements, and facilitate the exchange of inputs and agro-inputs among the regional organization," the bulletin added.

Castro assured that "ALBA-TCP does have the structure to deal with critical cases affecting the community."

"The issue of connectivity between our countries is a fundamental element to be able to move forward in a much more decisive way, and that connectivity can be through multimodal transportation, through air transportation and through maritime transportation, through which not only products, goods and services related to our area of influence can transit, but also people, cargo and courier services, which are vital for the development and solution of our activity," he said.