In a landmark diplomatic engagement, Hon. J. Alexander Nuetah, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Liberia, met with Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on the sidelines of the World Food Forum and World Food Day celebrations held at FAO Headquarters in Rome. During the meeting, Minister Nuetah outlined Liberia’s recent progress in agricultural transformation. Specifically, he highlighted the successful establishment and operational impact of the Liberia Situation Room a data-driven platform that continues to guide decision-making and coordination across the sector. In response, Dr. Dongyu commended Liberia’s innovation, noting that the Situation Room has emerged as a model of best practice for other countries.
He further emphasized that international visitors consistently express admiration for Liberia’s strategic vision and execution. Building on this momentum, Minister Nuetah expressed deep appreciation for FAO’s ongoing technical and strategic support. He reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to strengthening collaboration under two key FAO programs: the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative and the Hand-in-Hand Initiative. As part of this commitment, he briefed the Director-General on his recent meeting with FAO Chief Economist Mr. Máximo Torero and his team. According to the Minister, those discussions were highly productive and have already led to joint preparations for an Agricultural Investment Forum in Liberia, scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
In addition, Minister Nuetah informed the Director-General that Liberia is actively preparing for its OCOP launch event in December. On that note, he extended a formal invitation to Dr. Dongyu to visit Liberia for the occasion—an invitation the Director-General gladly accepted. Turning to investment opportunities, the two leaders discussed strategies to attract new partners to Liberia’s agriculture sector. In particular, they explored enhanced engagement with stakeholders from China and European countries. Minister Nuetah stressed that such partnerships are essential for boosting productivity, ensuring food security, and advancing value-chain development. In response, Dr. Dongyu encouraged Liberia to continue promoting its investment landscape and proposed the potential establishment of regional distribution centers through which Liberia could both benefit from and contribute to agricultural trade across West Africa.
Beyond his meeting with the FAO Director-General, Minister Nuetah held a series of high-level bilateral engagements aimed at further strengthening Liberia’s agricultural sector. These included discussions with representatives from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Saudi Agricultural Fund, and several FAO divisions namely the Investment Center, Economics, Livestock, OCOP, and Hand-in-Hand Initiative. He also met with private sector partners such as Bayer, reinforcing Liberia’s openness to innovation and multi-sectoral collaboration. Collectively, these engagements opened new avenues for investment, partnership, and innovation.
They are expected to yield tangible outcomes starting with the OCOP launch in December, followed by the Agricultural Investment Forum in early 2026, and culminating in Liberia’s presentation at next year’s World Food Forum. Before concluding the meeting, Minister Nuetah informed Dr. Dongyu of his upcoming engagement with China’s Minister of Agriculture. He welcomed the Director-General’s suggestion to explore deeper bilateral cooperation and investment dialogue. To round off his visit, Minister Nuetah toured the newly inaugurated Food and Agriculture Museum an initiative led by FAO and Italian President H.E. Sergio Mattarella. As the first museum of its kind established by a UN agency, it offers an innovative platform to celebrate and communicate the transformative power of food and agriculture.
