Entities related to Canada’s agriculture sector shared their technical viewpoints to enrich the document that will guide the Institute’s cooperation actions over the next four years.
Ottawa, March 19th, 2018 (IICA). A total of 25 organizations and 61 individuals related to Canada’s agriculture sector contributed to the preparation of IICA’s Medium-term Plan, which will guide the work conducted by this international organization for the benefit of agriculture across the hemisphere.
Consultation participants identified the main topics on which IICA’s work should focus, highlighting trade & market access, social inclusion, agricultural health & food safety, bioeconomy and the resilience of agricultural systems to climate change.
Stakeholders also stressed that, “We see the need for collaboration and the need for good science foundations and practices across the globe… that can be for food production, or for the environmental side. [Also], the issue of social inclusion, women and girls and indigenous populations, are all part of increasing inclusivity, in broader economic participation, but also certainly in agriculture” (Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada).
In addition to this, it was agreed upon that IICA should continue to endeavour to work closely with its country partners, particularly in the areas of private sector engagement, and in designing projects and partnerships with long term sustainability and results-oriented actions.
The Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, stated that the participants’ recommendations would be crucial in the development of a road map aimed at meeting country needs.
“When we understand the way our countries think and what their priorities are, we are able to efficiently target and distribute our resources, while working together to address national demands. This process guarantees IICA’s institutional strengthening moving forward,” he stated.
Representatives of public and private institutions, as well as the production and academic sectors, participated in the consultation.
This consultation process will be replicated in all other IICA Member States, to ensure that each country’s vision is taken into account in the preparation of national and regional plans. The results of the consultation process in Canada will be presented to and validated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
More information:
Dr. Audia Barnett, IICA Representative in Canada
