Buenos Aires, 22 September 2025 (IICA). Agronomist and journalist Héctor Huergo, a leading communicator specializing in the productive, economic and social phenomena that flourish in rural areas, and one of the first to foresee the role that new technologies would play in boosting agricultural productivity and sustainability, is the latest Goodwill Ambassador to be appointed by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
The hemispheric organization’s Director General, Manuel Otero, presented Huergo with the corresponding accreditation document. The distinction recognizes individuals who share IICA’s commitment to sustainable and equitable development in the Americas.
The ceremony, which took place at the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange—Argentina’s oldest business institution, founded in 1854—, was attended by numerous executives and members of agribusiness organizations, as well as journalists and the guest of honor’s loved ones.
Former ministers of agriculture Julián Domínguez and Fernando Vilella represented the Argentine government at the ceremony, while other participants included Gustavo Idígoras, President of the Argentine Chamber of the Oil Industry and the Center for Cereal Exporters (CIARA-CEC); and Marcelo Torres, President of the Argentine No Till Farmers Association (AAPRESID).
Also on hand were numerous business leaders from the agriculture, food marketing and financial services sectors, political leaders, and officials from Grupo Clarín, Argentina’s largest media conglomerate, where Huergo works as an agricultural affairs editor.
“Huergo is the person who best interprets the new narrative that the agriculture sector of Argentina and the whole of Latin America needs in order to show society the true face of the sector across our continent, which is crucial to global food security. We need him more than ever to shine the spotlight on the positive elements and boost the self-esteem of agricultural stakeholders,” Otero said upon presenting the diploma.
The IICA Director General emphasized Huergo’s ability to communicate complex issues in a simple manner.
Héctor Huergo is the agricultural affairs editor for Grupo Clarín, Argentina’s largest media conglomerate.
Revolution in the Pampas
Huergo, an agronomist by profession, is in charge of the Clarín newspaper’s rural supplement, whose team he joined in 1972 as a young university student. A strong proponent of the role of science and innovation as drivers of the evolution of production, he has also served as President of the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA), a regional and global benchmark in applied agricultural research.
“I’m not neutral. I’m a passionate supporter of the Second Pampas Revolution. Today, Argentine’s rural areas are at the forefront of global developments,” Huergo said upon receiving the diploma, referring to the extraordinary growth experienced by Argentine agricultural production since the 1990s, driven by new technologies and innovative agricultural practices.
He praised the phenomenal development of Argentina’s agriculture sector, the country’s main exporter, in recent decades, and recalled his beginnings as a journalist. “It was chance that led me to take up this profession, and how lucky I was,” he recalled. This IICA award is a great honor and means a lot to me, because goodwill has motivated me throughout my professional and personal life.”
The ceremony was also attended by Ricardo Marra, President of the Grain Exchange, and IICA Director General Emeritus Martín Piñeiro. “Huergo is the number one agricultural journalist in Argentina. He has not limited himself to simply reporting the latest news; he has also had a great vision of the future. He was a pioneer in recognizing the role of technology in agricultural activities and has had an enormous influence on the development of the sector in this country,” Piñeiro remarked.
IICA’s Goodwill Ambassadors accept the challenge of contributing to efforts to raise public awareness about the importance of food and nutrition security, and work on behalf of development through projects related to the bioeconomy, animal and plant health, and responsible production—all key issues on IICA’s agenda.
Learn more about IICA’s Goodwill Ambassadors here.
The ceremony, which took place at the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, was attended by executives, members of agribusiness organizations, journalists and the honoree’s loved ones.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
