Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Territorial Development and Family Farming

The program will focus on collaboration with governments and social, economic and entrepreneurial family farming (FF) cooperatives, with a view to promoting the design and application of public policies aimed at fostering systemic competitiveness in rural areas, mid-sized cities, production units and businesses. The program will also seek to integrate various concepts into cooperation activities, such as the notion of institutional quality, public investment policies and the promotion of private investment and associative efforts.

To this end, the program will continue to contribute to the design and implementation of policies, programs and projects to facilitate the inclusion of FF production in agrifood systems, as well the development of a new generation of public policies. There will be a focus on associative strategies that facilitate agricultural competitiveness, ecosystem sustainability, mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, the reduction of depopulation and migration, and coordination and investment in public and private enterprises in rural areas. The program will work with countries to:

  • Promote and support the development of a new generation of public FF policies that drive the development of rural territories and agrifood systems. The aim is to ensure the inclusion of family farming production units and to increase their supply and demand capacity, through their promotion and inclusion in effective and efficient cooperative enterprises, by way of public-private partnerships.
  • Facilitate the social and economic inclusion of FF in agrifood systems, through technical cooperation activities.
  • Contribute to enhancing FF competitiveness in rural areas and agrifood systems, by developing associative capacities, with a focus on promoting cooperative efforts.
  • Spearhead actions to strengthen the capacities of regional policy integration organizations and institutions to stimulate discourse on territorial development- and FF-related public policies.

Specialist

Program Manager

 

Technical team

 

Advisory team

  • Álvaro Ramos, Uruguay
  • José Emilio Guerrero, Spain

Contact us

Mario León Frutos

Program manager

mario.leon@iica.int

Technical Cooperation Direction

dct@iica.int

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Multimedia

Explore our videos and discover IICA’s impact on agriculture and rural development throughout the region.

Headquarters, Sede Central

November 26, 2025

COP30. Day 10. Block 3

Headquarters, Sede Central

November 26, 2025

COP30. Day 10. Block 2

Brasilia

March 6, 2026

IICA Director General attends meeting of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) and gives ministers details of the progress that has been made with his organization’s work plan for the period 2026-2030

At a meeting of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS), the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Muhammad Ibrahim, presented details of the progress that has been made in drafting the 2026-2030 Medium-term Plan (MTP), the roadmap for his term of office as the head of the specialized agency for agricultural and rural development. The ministers who make up the Council then proposed other areas that should be included as priorities for work.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Brasilia

March 5, 2026

Meeting of ministers of agriculture addresses health and trade challenges and strengthens cooperation, as Bolivia assumes chairmanship of the CAS

In Brasilia, the ministers of agriculture of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, the countries that make up the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS), held the 51st Regular Meeting of the regional consultation and cooperation forum to discuss health and trade challenges and reach agreement on new collaborative initiatives.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Brasilia

March 4, 2026

Brazilian authorities to prepare joint work plan with IICA Director General on plant and animal health, bioinputs and low-carbon production systems

In meetings held at the Itamaraty Palace, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and at Embrapa’s headquarters, participants discussed plans to increase the contributions of the hemispheric organization specialized in agricultural and rural development in the areas of bioinputs, pasture restoration and low-carbon production systems, as well as collaboration in plant and animal health and digital technical assistance services.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins