The Ministers of Agriculture of 34 countries of the hemisphere held their biannual meeting within the framework of the 75th anniversary of the specialized agency for agriculture of the Inter-American System.
San Jose, 25 October 2017 (IICA). The Acting President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Helio Fallas, opened the Nineteenth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), the highest governing body of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
Every two years, this event brings together the Ministers of Agriculture of the 34 member countries of this international organization. This year, the meeting took place at IICA’s Headquarters in San Isidro de Coronado, on October 25 and 26.
“Costa Rica has the honor of being the place where IICA was founded in 1942. Throughout its history, IICA’s objectives have been consistent with Costa Rican agricultural policies,” stated Fallas during his inaugural address.
Fallas described Villalobos’ administration as successful during his eight years at the helm of the Institute. He stressed the need to continue receiving IICA’s support in order to foster the development and transformation of agriculture in the Americas.
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica, Luis Felipe Arauz, stated that now more than ever, agriculture is at a crossroads that demands increased productivity to feed the world and reduce the environmental impact of agricultural activities. As a result, the ties of friendship and cooperation must become increasingly stronger.
“We cannot increase productivity in a random manner. This increase must be knowledge-intensive and address challenges in a clever manner. I encourage my fellow ministers to rely on science and knowledge to address the challenges of agriculture. International cooperation plays a fundamental role in this regard, and IICA has participated in addressing these challenges over the past 75 years,” he stated.
The Director General of IICA, Víctor M. Villalobos, stated that “agriculture plays a key role in developing our countries, overcoming the poverty that afflicts millions of people, alleviating the effects of climate change and environmental deterioration, and feeding our growing populations.”
“Now more than ever, we must reflect on the future of the Institute, a future that demands committed support from all of its Member States. To strengthen IICA is to strengthen hemispheric agriculture; a strengthened agriculture will guarantee the prosperity of our people,” he added.
“The Institute was founded to address the challenge of ensuring the timely provision of raw materials and food. This objective remains as pertinent today as it was then, but today’s agriculture is a powerful axis for fostering economic growth and social well-being,” concluded Villalobos.
Villalobos also expressed his appreciation to the government of Costa Rica for the generosity it has extended to IICA throughout its 75-year history, “by offering a portion of its land to serve as the home of Agriculture of the Americas.”The opening ceremony ended with a keynote address on the legacy and influence of Henry Wallace, IICA’s founder, on the future of agriculture.
Following the speech, homage was paid to Wallace through the unveiling of a memorial in the Institute’s main lobby at Headquarters.
“He was a visionary, a dreamer. Henry Wallace saw the world not only for what it was, but for how it ought to be,” stated Jeffrey Nawn, representative of the Wallace Foundation.
“This bust reminds us of the vision that Henry Wallace had for agriculture in the Americas and around the world. Have we fulfilled the vision that IICA’s founders set for us 75 years ago? The answer is no – not yet. But we are trying,” stated Nawn.
During its meeting, the IABA also elected the next Director General of IICA for the period 2018-2022.
More information:
Héctor Iturbe, Technical Secretary of IICA’s governing bodies
Official Web Page of the Nineteenth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture
