UN Food and Agriculture Organization to implement ‘AgrInvest’ in Angola in 2019

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is said to be commencing the implementation of an investment programme dubbed ‘AgrInvest’ in Angola in 2019 to identify investment chains. Food and Agriculture Organization’s sub-regional director for Southern Africa, Felix Onibon revealed this in Angola’s capital, Luanda on May 23.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official said this during a meeting with heads of the Ministry of Commerce that addressed issues related to value chains, agro-business and financing.

He opined that the programme is a global initiative to support the promotion of sustainable private and public-private sector investment in agriculture. The move is intended to encourage the creation of regulatory and institutional policies and conditions conducive to private investment in agro-food systems.

Felix Onibon acknowledged the importance of creating a conducive environment for sustainable investment in the context of the economic diversification and achieving the goals of sustainable development, eradicating poverty and hunger. He expressed FAO’s availability to support for the Government of Angola in dealing with the issues related to the initiative.

According to him, investors tend to view agriculture as a risk, especially at the primary level of production. Therefore, the official said, ‘AgrInvest focuses’ on solution to the risks of this investment by creating platforms for dialogue between public and private value chain actors, to reduce the risks of the sector, by guaranteeing and sharing financial products.

 According to him, the implementation of the project follows the interest of Angola in economic diversification and enhancing national production. ‘AgrInvest’ intends to develop functional capacities of institutions, actors in the value chain and local products.

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