The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise met with H.E. Rossana Briceño, Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, at the Laing Building in Belize City.
The discussion focused on collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Office of the Special Envoy, especially for school feeding programs and school gardens. An overview of how school gardens can be used as a pedagogical tool in schools through partnerships with the National Food and Nutrition Security Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health & Wellness, and the Office of the Special Envoy was presented.
H.E. Briceño discussed the purpose of the Office of the Special Envoy and highlighted the main goal of empowering the most vulnerable families and children to fully contribute and to successfully participate in achieving Belize’s development goals. Target beneficiaries are persons and children living with disabilities, the elderly, and vulnerable families. Strategic priorities include strengthening engagement to support the most vulnerable, increasing citizen participation and ownership, and promoting effective and accountable governance.
The mission of the Office of the Special Envoy aligns with the program areas of the National Food and Nutrition Security Commission and with the overall goals of Plan Belize.
Representing the Ministry of Agriculture were Mr. Servulo Baeza, CEO in the ministry; Mr. Luis Pook, director of communications; Mr. Clifford Martinez, director of extension; Mr. Gary Ramirez, national horticulture coordinator; and Mr. Emilio Montero, coordinator for the National Food and Nutrition Security Commission.
