Honduras' National Sustainable Livestock Platform advances in its sustainable development plan and elects CATIE as executive secretary

• The Minister and the Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock lead the platform's ordinary assembly and highlight achievements in sustainable livestock and strategic planning for the sector.

November 24, 2023. In an event held on November 20, the National Sustainable Livestock Platform of Honduras (PNGSH) held its ordinary assembly, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Laura Suazo, and the Vice Minister of Livestock, Angel Acosta.

More than 20 institutions gathered to discuss key advances in the country's livestock projects, elect the platform's new executive secretary and discuss the creation of a national sustainable livestock plan.

The event began with a posthumous tribute to Isidro Matamoros, an outstanding member of the Honduran livestock sector, recognized for his valuable contributions to research, teaching and governance in the region. Matamoros' wife, mother and brother were present to pay tribute to his legacy.

On behalf of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), Edwin García and Claudia García, presented the progress of the project Transforming the Honduran livestock sector into a low carbon economy (MAF-Ganadería-HN). This strategic project is in the planning stage and defining agreements with implementing partners.

Both highlighted the transformative potential of the project for the Honduran livestock sector by developing methodologies and processes that can be adopted by PNGSH stakeholders and contribute to the development of a national sustainable livestock plan.

The formation and strengthening of regional sustainable livestock roundtables led by Heifer was also highlighted as an important achievement, as these roundtables will be integrated into the PNGSH in the future.

Several institutions, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Honduran Chamber of Milk (CAHLE), SWISSCONTACT, Zamorano and the Directorate of Agricultural Science and Technology (DICTA) of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG), are currently implementing actions related to livestock in Honduras, and together with the other members of the PNGSH, will contribute to the development and implementation of a national plan for sustainable livestock.

In addition, the assembly decided to appoint CATIE as the institution that will act as executive secretary of the PNGSH in 2024, with FAO and Heifer assuming the roles of undersecretaries to support the follow-up of actions and agreements.

One of the most relevant agreements was the initiation of the elaboration of a national sustainable livestock plan, a process that will receive methodological support from CATIE as part of the actions of the MAF-Livestock-HN project.

The meeting underlined Honduras' commitment to sustainable livestock farming and its search for innovative solutions in this crucial field.