Manuel Otero, General Director of the Inter-American Institute of Cooperation for Agriculture (IICA); Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil; Carlos Fávaro, Minister of Agriculture and Farming of Brazil; Luis Alfredo Fratti Silveira, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uruguay and President of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (JIA).
Brasilia, 4 November 2025 (IICA) – The Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, organized by the government of Brazil and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), opened with a call to strengthen the role of the region as a strategic player in global food security and of the agriculture sector in national development strategies, by emphasizing innovation and sustainability.
The opening ceremony was held in the city of Brasilia at Palacio Itamaraty, where the Brazilian Foreign Ministry is headquartered. In attendance were high-level authorities of the host country and the Americas. The three-day meeting will bring together about thirty ministers and deputy ministers of Agriculture from the region.
The speakers at the opening ceremony were Carlos Fávaro, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil; Mauro Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil; Luis Alfredo Fratti Silveira, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Uruguay and Chair of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA); and Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA.
Participating in the ceremony were country delegations, members of the diplomatic corps, senior officials of international agencies, private sector representatives, Leaders of Rurality of the Americas recognized by IICA and members of the national and international press.
“This is an unparalleled opportunity for ministers in the region to meet and engage in dialogue. We have renewed hope in the results we can achieve through cooperation and dialogue”, said Fávaro.
The Brazilian Minister of Agriculture and Livestock referred to the importance of COP 30—the world’s most important forum for environmental discussions, to be held this month in Belém do Pará, in the Brazilian Amazon—for the region’s agriculture sector. “We hope to make progress in building a consensus that will enable us to live in harmony with our planet”, he said.
Fávaro praised the work carried out by Manuel Otero, who will step down as Director General of the hemispheric organization in January after an eight-year tenure. “He has led IICA with wisdom, respecting the characteristics of each country in the Americas, while also contributing to the development of important public policies for our region. IICA is a pillar for strengthening agriculture in the Americas, and it is up to us to elect a successor who will measure up to it”, he said.
Foreign Minister Viera noted that the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture provided an opportunity to strengthen ties for economic and social development between countries in the region. In that regard, he described agriculture as a pillar for Brazil’s economic growth and social development, as well as a priority area in its trade policy.
“Brazil ended 2024 with a surplus trade balance”, he noted, “which in large part was due to agriculture. Thanks to scientific and research developments, Brazil went from being a net importer of food in 1970 to become an agricultural powerhouse and a leader in global agribusiness. We have the capacity to reconcile large-scale production with social inclusion. This encourages Brazil to share its experiences in agriculture with the rest of the countries”.
Viera recognized IICA’s capacity to influence the hemispheric agenda on food security and sustainable development and he also expressed his support for strengthening ties with countries in the region, based on common values and shared challenges, such as the need to reduce hunger, poverty and social inequality.
Agriculture for development
Manuel Otero, in his last Ministerial Conference as IICA Director General, noted that, “IICA’s work is guided by the conviction that agriculture, given its umbilical connection to food security and social peace; its relationship with science, technology and research; and its connection to the environment, industry and the development strategies of the countries, is an activity that compels the ministries of the sector to coordinate and join efforts with other ministries. Brazil clearly recognizes this concept”.
The IICA Director General noted that Brazil provides an excellent example for the region and the world of a productive, sustainable and inclusive agriculture sector and a government that operates to the benefit of agriculture, as demonstrated by the joint effort between the ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs to open new markets.
“It is clear that this work and recognition have a solid and long-standing foundation, to which IICA has contributed, and I am proud of that”, he stated.
Fratti, for his part, emphasized that producing countries “have a responsibility to provide the world with food that is accessible to all and produced in an environmentally friendly manner. We must design policies to further the development of our production sectors”.
Ministerial delegations and international authorities participate in the opening of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, held at the Palacio Itamaraty, Brasilia, under the motto “A new narrative for agriculture and the agro-food systems of the Americas”.
The Uruguayan minister also referred to the importance of generating conditions to encourage youth to remain in rural areas and also highlighted the leading role and leadership of women. “These stakeholders are the present and future of production”, he remarked.
Fratti also praised IICA’s work, highlighting its hemispheric projects and programs in key areas for regional agriculture, such as international trade, rural development, family farming, digital innovation, bioeconomy, and health, safety and food quality.
Conference of Ministers
The Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas provides an opportunity for ministers and senior authorities of the sector to meet with experts and producers to develop a shared vision on the future of agriculture and agrifood systems.
This year’s conference is being held in the Brazilian capital under the motto “A New Narrative for Agriculture and Agrifood Systems of the Americas”. It will seek to develop a joint strategy to strengthen the hemisphere’s standing as a key player, not only in food security, but also in global environmental conservation and energy security.
The role of science, technology and innovation in food security and productive transformations will be key topics of discussion during the technical forums of the meeting, which will feature the participation of distinguished special guests.
The Twenty-third Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA)—IICA’s highest governing body—will take place during the conference. The new Director General of the hemispheric agency for the period 2026-2030 will be elected during the meeting.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
