Even though summer is behind us, the delegation was determined to eke out every last drop of the warm weather in Ottawa, as we made preparations for cooler climes.
We were not however prepared for the tornado that swept through the city, wreaking damage and leaving close to a quarter of a million persons without power for an extended period. Such environmental events serve to remind us of the challenges that agri-food systems worldwide continue to face.
Typically, summer is the period for staff vacations, both within the Institute and in partner organizations. The small team in the Canadian Delegation did a fantastic job at manoeuvring between holiday schedules to ensure that meaningful outputs were delivered.
The first-time hosting of a brown bag lunch seminar at Global Affairs Canada proved to be a great way to share information with Government staff on the recently concluded project on engaging women in Cacao value-added entrepreneurial activities. Another first was the high-level roundtable consultation hosted with senior officials of government, academia, private sector and non-governmental organizations. Both events ensured the relationship with the Delegation’s partners remained strong and relevant.
Taking advantage of virtual technology as a good vehicle for knowledge exchange, the delegation was able to link Canadian expertise with LAC countries in areas such as satellite technology for agricultural productivity as well as initiate discussions on optimizing greenhouse production.
The PROCINORTE portfolio also moved into high gear. With the main annual task force workshops taking place during September, the Secretariat was fully engaged in providing organizational and logistical support. Additionally, partnership engagement received a boost as 2 new agreements were negotiated and collaborative prospects with existing partners revisited. All this prepared the way for activating the Institute’s new Medium Term Plan through the development and implementation of a relevant and impactful national strategy for Canada.
For more information:
Audia Barnett
audia.barnett@iica.int
