Two Canadian organizations, including one from Prince Edward Island, were recently in Libya to sign cooperation agreements with a number of Libyan government departments which will see them collaborate together on mutual beneficial projects.
Lloyd Dalziel, Chair of the Island-based International Sustainable Community Assistance, said that meetings with various ministries and university faculties yielded some very positive outcomes. Dalziel said:
“Libya imports close to 80% of its agricultural requirements yet recognizes the need to increase food production as well as diversifying its employment base which now lies primarily in the public sector ...
"Libya is seeking new technologies to address the food production challenges it faces, such as climate change, desertification, human resources, training, and improving livestock genetics and seed quality. Prince Edward Island and Canada is well positioned to provide solutions to many of these issues as well as assisting with institutional capacity building”.
While in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Mr. Dalziel met with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Marine Wealth, Libyan Department of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Planning, and the Canadian Embassy. “We also had a chance to meet with Libya 2030, a 50 member committee that has been organized to develop a vision for Libya. It was exciting to hear the committee members talk about agriculture as a potential strategic sector within that vision and that it holds the potential to diversify the economy. The collaborating Canadian organizations are very committed to working with the Libyan authorities to identify ways to improve the sector, starting with a forum to bring together international and Libyan agricultural experts to develop a strategy to move the sector forward”.
Pictured here from left to right: Dr. Bashir Nwer, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Marine Wealth, Dr. Khalil Khamiss, Chair of the Libyan Agriculture and Scientific Experts Group, Lloyd Dalziel, Chair of International Sustainable Community Assistance, Christine Vincent, Deputy Director of CANADEM, Mohamed Elabeadi, Second Undersecretary Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Marine Wealth, and Dr. Ali Shaki, Director of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Marine Wealth
(Source: ISCA-AIDC)
