Soul of Rurality

IICA’s recognition of the Leaders of Rurality of the Americas is part of an initiative that seeks to turn the spotlight on men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.

It pays tribute to those who play an unparalleled dual role: as guarantors of food and nutritional security and as caretakers of the planet’s biodiversity. It also emphasizes their capacity to drive positive changes in the rural areas of the region. For all these reasons, these individuals are the Soul of Rurality.

Leaders of Rurality of the Americas

IICA photo exhibition to showcase the day-to-day work of the Leaders of Rurality of the Americas in Berlin, at one of the world’s most important forums for discussions on food and agriculture

IICA is to hold a photo exhibition in Berlin thanks to the collaboration of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Carolín Leguizamón and Héctor Cristaldo, committed to strengthening small producers and the Paraguayan agroindustry, are recognized by IICA as Leaders of Rurality in the Americas

Carolín Leguizamón and Héctor Cristaldo, both from Paraguay and with decades of work advocating for small producers and strengthening agroindustry in their country, were recognized as “Leaders of Rurality in the Americas” by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

Tania Liew-A-Soe, founder of a women’s cooperative in Suriname that produces, processes, and exports food, is recognized by IICA as a Leader of Rurality of the Americas

The cooperative brings together women farmers and entrepreneurs who, while producing and industrializing food, share the responsibilities of educating their children and ensuring their families' nutrition.

Katy Moncada, a farmer who has paved the way and teaches the path to rural women in Honduras, is recognized by IICA as a Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Katy is part of a group of rural women from the department of El Paraíso, in eastern Honduras, who left the countryside, graduated from university, and returned to their first love, coffee growing. These women also began other productive activities such as beekeeping and growing bananas and lemons through the cooperative enterprise “Women in Action.”

John Hunte, a promoter of healthy food production in Barbados for farmers and consumers, is honored by IICA as a “Leader of Rurality of the Americas.”

Hunte was one of the founders of the Organic Growers and Consumers Association (OGCA), established in 1998 to promote the production of food certified for being free of chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

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