Head of UN agricultural agency in Haiti to discuss food security

The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is in Haiti for talks on food security with top officials including President René Préval.

Widespread food riots in the small Caribbean nation – the poorest in the Western Hemisphere – led to the dismissal of Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis last month.

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf was also scheduled to meet public sector officials, foreign diplomats and representatives from the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) during his stay.

Discussions would focus on questions linked with food security and FAO’s response to the rapid rise in food prices, according to a statement issued by the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH.

Mr. Diouf heads to the Dominican Republic following his visit to Haiti.