Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Mexican Victor Villalobos elected Director General of IICA

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

He will take up his new post on January 15, 2010 and serve a four-year term.

Montego Bay, Jamaica, October 30, 2009. Mexican Victor Villalobos Arámbula was elected Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for the period 2010-2014. Mr. Villalobos received 30 of the votes cast by the Heads of Delegation that attended the Fifteenth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), the Institute’s highest governing body.

Mr. Villalobos, who is 59 years old and a citizen of Mexico, is a distinguished professional specializing in issues related to agriculture and natural and genetic resources. He has an outstanding record as a professor, a researcher and a governmental and international official.

He has a doctorate in morphogenesis from the University of Alberta in Canada and currently holds the position of Director of International Affairs of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) of Mexico.

Mr. Villalobos was elected during the Week of Agriculture and Rural Life of the Americas, which began on Monday, October 26 and concludes on October 31 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Mr. Villalobos will replace Dr. Chelston W.D. Brathwaite, a citizen of Barbados, who has been at the helm of IICA for eight years, having taken office in 2002.

For more information, contact

patricia.leon@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Tapachula, México

May 8, 2026

Without smart financing, there is no transformation: the other side of tropical agriculture

Behind many of the current debates on tropical agriculture —regarding productivity, sustainability, innovation— there is a variable that is becoming increasingly important, although it does not always feature prominently in the discussions: financing. Factors such as the way in which it is allocated, and the incentives and conditions involved, are becoming crucial.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Tapachula, México

May 8, 2026

Tropical agriculture already has solutions: the challenge is bringing them to farmers and transforming them into viable businesses

At a recent meeting on tropical agriculture held in Tapachula, specialists from international organizations, research centers, and public institutions agreed that the gap is no longer in knowledge generation, but in its implementation.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José

May 7, 2026

IICA Director General and Executive Secretary of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC) discuss agenda for strengthening agriculture in the region

Also addressed in the meeting were the issues caused by the El Niño phenomenon in the region, and the need to build tools that facilitate decision-making based on scientific evidence and lessons learned.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins