Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agriculture

Rep’s Corner

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Summertime in Ottawa is a treat! The beautiful weather served as a great backdrop for the varied menu of activities performed by the IICA Delegation in Canada.

Dr. Audia Barnett, IICA Representative in Canada paying a courtesy call
to the new High Commissioner of Trinidad & Tobago in Canada, H.E. Garth Chatoor

Ottawa, ON. Awardees under the Research Internship Assistance Programme (RIAP) were busy with their various activities and based on preliminary reports, several other countries stand to gain from the outputs of the exchanges and internships. This attests to the catalytic effect of this programme. The Delegation’s own Summer Internship usually involves a specific task that requires dedicated time and skills for providing data or intelligence relevant to the Canadian landscape.  This summer was no different, though the modus operandi veered from the usual in-office exercise, to an off-site collaborative exercise. Forging new partnerships, the summer project was designed to identify all-round benefits of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme in Canada, as well as opportunities for optimizing the acquired proficiencies in participating countries. 

The PROCINORTE Secretariat was in preparation mode for the platform’s annual Board of Directors meeting, even while facilitating several workshops on behalf of the task forces.  However, by far the most intensive activity this summer was implementing the first phase of the Delegation’s FonTC Project: “Enhancing value-added opportunities of small scale cacao producers in Peru and Dominican Republic”.  As with the start-up of most projects, there were anxious moments, however the team comprising Delegations in Peru and Dominican Republic worked tirelessly to ensure that planned activities achieved the results anticipated. 

In addition to courtesy calls on new Ambassadors of Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina and Chile, the Delegation embarked on a mission in the Maritime Provinces, where new potential collaborators were introduced to the Institute’s programmes and contributions in the hemisphere as well as in Canada. The timing of the mission was perfect, as it allow for participation of the Deputy Director of Technical Cooperation, who undoubtedly added value to the interactions and discussions. 

As the year draws to a close, the Delegation is eager to start planning follow-up on several leads which emerged during the quarter – particularly as those that will impact the effective delivery of its country strategy.

Share

Related news​

Washington D.C.

March 13, 2025

During visit to Washington D.C. by Director General Manuel Otero, U.S. Department of Agriculture and IICA ratify strategic partnership to drive agricultural modernization in the Americas

The United States and IICA are working together to prevent and control these diseases, which require joint action, as they threaten food security and the livelihoods of producers.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

March 13, 2025

IICA and its partners expand research on the benefits of soil carbon sequestration  

Engineers, Carlos Eduardo Cerri and Mauricio Cherubim, gave details on a recently published study, which was conducted over a period of more than a year, examining the results of efforts to halt soil degradation and to make it more resilient to extreme climate events.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José

March 12, 2025

Brought together by Business at OECD (BIAC), Bayer and IICA, experts discuss practical solutions to promote long-term investment in sustainable agriculture in Costa Rica

The event was also used to explore other issues such as the importance of mobilizing financial resources for the development of regenerative agriculture with key stakeholders and the OECD; identify concrete solutions and partnerships to support sustainable agriculture initiatives; improve collaboration between governments, the private sector and international organizations to promote the development of sustainable agriculture; and elevate the importance of agricultural issues in global discussions.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins