Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agriculture

The Government of Uruguay announces its nomination of former Minister of Agriculture, Fernando Mattos, for the post of Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

El ministro de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca de Uruguay, Alfredo Fratti; el presidente del país, Yamandú Orsi; el ex ministro Fernando Mattos; y el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Mario Lubetkin.

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.
Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay, Alfredo Fratti; President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi; former Minister Fernando Mattos; and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Lubetkin.

SAN JOSE, 2 April 2025 (IICA) – The Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay has officially announced that it will nominate former Minister Fernando Mattos for the post of Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The official announcement was made in Uruguay, following a meeting between the country’s President Yamandú Orsi; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Lubetkin; the Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Alfredo Fratti, and former Minister Mattos.

Minister Lubetkin indicated in an official note “that the decision is in keeping with our State policy” and the fact that “as a former minister in the previous government, his candidacy would gain greater support. In international politics, we need to combine forces.”

Lubetkin added that the Uruguayan Government “will work tirelessly in the coming months to ensure that this candidacy receives the necessary support”.
  
On the other hand, Mattos stressed that, “This is not an issue of flags, but of promoting something that brings tremendous prestige to Uruguay, which is the value of its democracy and its state policies”. 

The new IICA Director General will be elected by the ministers of Agriculture of the thirty-four member countries of the Americas in November, during the meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA).

President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, with former Minister Fernando Mattos.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Washington D.C.

April 13, 2026

Speaking at IDB Headquarters in Washington, the IICA Director General maintained that agriculture of the Americas is critical for global food, energy, and environmental security

The joint IDB-IICA agenda includes medium-term projects aimed at reducing structural vulnerabilities, in areas such as food infrastructure and logistics, production inclusion, and animal and plant health. The long-term initiatives are premised on the development of the bioeconomy as a central strategy for production transformation in rural areas of the hemisphere.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Washington, D.C.

April 10, 2026

Ministers and senior officials of Agriculture of the Americas call for improving policy coordination between countries in the face of geopolitical conflicts and highlight IICA’s role in the continent  

The meeting, attended virtually by ministers and officials, was held within the framework of IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim’s visit to Washington, D.C., where he is working alongside officials of the U.S. government and international funding agencies to develop an agenda aimed at strengthening regional agriculture.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Washington D.C.

April 8, 2026

The Fertilizer Institute, a key industry institution, will work together with IICA to guarantee supply security in countries of the Western Hemisphere

TFI and IICA will work together to promote public policies and long-term capital investments that can contribute to guaranteeing the supply of fertilizers for agriculture across the continent, and will formalize their agreement by signing a memorandum of understanding.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins