In a high-profile diplomatic engagement at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Director-General QU Dongyu hosted His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, for a pivotal discussion centered on strengthening agricultural cooperation and bolstering food security in the West African nation. The meeting underscored Sierra Leone’s unwavering commitment to transforming its agrifood systems while leveraging strategic partnerships to achieve long-term sustainability.
Welcoming President Bio with a warm reception, the FAO Director-General expressed profound appreciation for Sierra Leone’s steadfast collaboration with the organization over the years. He commended the country’s commitment to advancing agricultural productivity and food security, acknowledging the Government’s relentless efforts in driving systemic change within the sector.
In turn, President Bio extended gratitude to FAO for its instrumental role in supporting Sierra Leone’s agricultural development, emphasizing that the organization’s interventions had significantly contributed to shaping the country’s food production landscape.
Despite commendable progress, the President noted that formidable challenges persisted, necessitating continued technical and financial support from FAO and other development partners. He highlighted the pressing need for robust interventions in marketing and food processing, revealing that post-harvest losses remained a critical impediment to food security. With a considerable portion of locally produced food perishing before reaching consumers, he called for infrastructural enhancements to minimize losses and optimize output. The President emphasized that improving storage, transport, and value addition facilities would be game-changing for the agricultural sector.
Recognizing the significance of South-South Cooperation as a vehicle for knowledge and technology transfer, President Bio sought FAO’s facilitation in deepening Sierra Leone’s agricultural ties with nations such as China and Vietnam. He underscored the necessity of learning from these countries’ success stories in agrarian development, particularly in the application of climate-smart agriculture to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on food production. With shifting climatic conditions posing existential threats to smallholder farmers, the President stressed the urgency of adopting innovative and resilient farming techniques to sustain productivity.
Furthermore, President Bio articulated Sierra Leone’s vision of digitizing farmers’ markets to establish direct linkages between producers and consumers, thereby eliminating middlemen, increasing profitability for farmers, and enhancing food affordability for citizens. He underscored that the integration of digital solutions within the agricultural supply chain was critical to driving efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness. Equally, he urged FAO to support the development of Sierra Leone’s aquaculture sector, citing its immense potential to spur economic growth and create employment opportunities for the youth. He affirmed that fisheries and aquaculture could be transformative pillars for economic diversification if adequately harnessed through technical expertise and capital investment.
Stressing the indispensable role of the private sector in agricultural transformation, the President called for concerted efforts to de-risk investments in agriculture, particularly for smallholder farmers. He acknowledged that limited access to finance had been a major bottleneck hindering large-scale agricultural expansion, necessitating innovative mechanisms to attract investors and unlock capital flows into the sector. Encouraging increased public-private partnerships, he asserted that facilitating agribusiness financing was fundamental to propelling Sierra Leone towards self-sufficiency in food production.
Responding to President Bio’s requests, the FAO Director-General reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to providing comprehensive technical assistance, including through the FAO Investment Centre, which facilitates agricultural investment programmes to catalyze economic growth. He invited Sierra Leone to participate in the One Country One Priority Product Initiative, a flagship programme designed to enhance the production and commercialization of strategic agricultural commodities. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of leveraging the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum at the World Food Forum as a gateway for attracting global investors keen on supporting sustainable agrifood development.
The meeting culminated in a strong mutual understanding of the urgent imperatives needed to drive agricultural progress in Sierra Leone. With FAO’s backing, President Bio’s vision for an agrarian revolution rooted in technology, resilience, and private sector involvement received a significant boost. The discussions marked a pivotal step towards reinforcing Sierra Leone’s agricultural agenda, setting the stage for intensified collaboration, groundbreaking innovations, and transformative outcomes that promise to redefine the country’s food security trajectory for generations to come.
In a bold reaffirmation of Sierra Leone’s unwavering commitment to food security and international collaboration, President Julius Maada Bio engaged in transformative discussions with two of the world’s foremost authorities in global food systems. During high-level meetings in Rome on February 13, 2025,
The President met also on February 13, 2025 with Cindy H. McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) and Eng. Noora Sulaiman Saleem Al Fassam, Kuwait’s Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investments. These meetings underscored Sierra Leone’s proactive strategy to forge sustainable investments and technical partnerships aimed at advancing its flagship food security agenda.
While visiting the World Food Programme’s headquarters, President Bio expressed the heartfelt appreciation of the Sierra Leonean Government for WFP’s continuous and impactful interventions in the country’s food security programs. He emphasized that his administration’s efforts to de-risk the agricultural sector were pivotal in attracting private sector investment. This strategy, he noted, would ensure that the country’s agricultural transformation remained robust, with a strong emphasis on the leadership role the private sector could play in driving food security initiatives.
In a compelling appeal, the President sought expanded technical assistance from the WFP, calling for enhanced advisory support to strengthen Sierra Leone’s food systems. He firmly believed that by bolstering the technical backbone of the food security sector, the country could achieve long-term resilience and self-sufficiency. Responding to his requests, Cindy H. McCain warmly acknowledged President Bio’s visionary leadership, especially in advancing Africa’s food security narrative. She applauded his commitment to uplifting the country’s agricultural standards and pledged WFP’s continued support in realizing the nation’s long-term food security and economic aspirations.
In a separate high-level meeting, President Bio met Eng. Noora Sulaiman Saleem Al Fassam, Kuwait’s influential Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investments, to further cement the growing partnership between Sierra Leone and Kuwait, with a focus on agriculture and food security. In the meeting, President Bio expressed deep gratitude to Kuwait for its ongoing support through the Kuwait Fund, highlighting the importance of sustaining these vital relationships for the continued development of Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector.
Minister Al Fassam, in turn, reaffirmed Kuwait’s longstanding commitment to Sierra Leone, particularly in the fields of food security, agricultural systems, and water management. She emphasized Kuwait’s readiness to enhance collaboration in these sectors, ensuring both countries would benefit from mutual economic growth. The Minister also extended a special invitation to President Bio to visit Kuwait, symbolizing the enduring strength of diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations.
These pivotal discussions reflect President Bio’s determination to position Sierra Leone as a resilient, food-secure nation. By fostering international partnerships and championing private sector involvement, the government is working to transform agriculture into a cornerstone of the country’s economic growth. This strategic vision is backed by strong collaborations with organizations such as the WFP and international partners like Kuwait, who are committed to ensuring that Sierra Leone’s food systems are robust, sustainable, and economically transformative.
