San José, 20 January 2026 (IICA) – The Minister of Agriculture of Guyana, Zulfikar Mustapha, described as historic the assumption of office of Muhammad Ibrahim as the new Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), as he is the first citizen of this country to lead the hemispheric organization for agricultural development and rural well-being, founded in 1942.
“Muhammad Ibrahim is receiving a fully functioning institution that is modernizing day by day to serve the ever-changing needs of its Member States. We are confident that, under his leadership, IICA will continue to be an increasingly powerful engine for a more sustainable and inclusive future in the Americas”, said Mustapha, who was one of the speakers at the inauguration ceremony, which took place in San José, Costa Rica, with the presence of ministers and senior officials from more than 30 countries.
Mustapha acknowledged Ibrahim’s experience in agricultural development, international cooperation and public policy and considered that “his proven ability to integrate science, policy and practical action represents the kind of leadership demanded by today’s complex agricultural and food security landscape”.
In addition, the Guyanese Minister recognized the contributions to agriculture in the Americas of the outgoing Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, and asked those present at the ceremony for a round of applause in appreciation.
Mustapha, who leads the ministerial task force of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on agriculture and food security, noted that IICA must continue to be an agile institution capable of responding to challenges in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Responding to change
“First of all”, he warned, “the world is evolving at a rapid pace. There are more challenges than before, and IICA must keep up with change and respond to it in order to address the concerns of its Member States. Among these challenges are extreme weather events, and in that regard, some countries need more assistance than others. In addition, innovation is central, and IICA is key to enabling countries to move toward digital agriculture and to focus on the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups, namely youth and women”.
Mustapha said that the Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana—a South American country with a coastline on the Caribbean Sea—is working together with IICA on the establishment of a Situation Room in the capital, Georgetown, which will serve to strengthen real-time data monitoring, analysis and rapid response capacity to extreme weather events in the agricultural sector.
“This will help not only Guyana but also the entire Caribbean to understand what will happen in terms of weather forecasts and data collection. We are also working with IICA to build a center of excellence that will strengthen the Guyana School of Agriculture and enable the training of more personnel, not only in Guyana but throughout the Caribbean, in the development of high-value crops such as corn and soybeans”, he specified.
“Cooperation and joint work between Guyana and IICA will be greater than ever, as we greatly value the institution’s experience in our objective of diversifying our agricultural sector. Vulnerability in the Caribbean to extreme weather events is greater than ever, and that is one of the greatest challenges the new Director General will face. He has the necessary capabilities, given his extensive professional background and his network of contacts in different countries. I am confident that he will use that experience to help all IICA Member States overcome the challenges they face”, he concluded.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
