Partnership to boost food security knowledge in LAC

IICA, FAO and the Association of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean are to design a master’s program in food security, with the support of the European Union.

*IICA’s Deputy Director, Lloyd Day (second, right) was in Rome during the signing of the FAO-UDUAL agreement.*

San Jose, Costa Rica, March 7, 2014 (IICA). Thanks to a partnership between three international organizations, professionals working in the agriculture sector of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will soon have a suite of e-learning courses at their fingertips that will permit them to acquire new expertise and improve the design of policies related to food and nutritional security. Rollout of the courses is scheduled for January 2015.

The organizations in question—the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Association of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUAL)—are already working on the design and implementation of an online master’s program in food security.

FAO and UDUAL signed a memorandum of understanding in Rome on February 28, under which they will work with IICA and European universities. The European Union (EU) is supporting the initiative.

The aim is to offer degrees that will further develop the capacities of food security professionals who work in government ministries and institutions in LAC, such as nutritionists, statisticians, market analysts and others. Furthermore, the initiative will draw on a large number of specialized courses, which have already been designed, on agricultural and rural development.

The e-learning tools will also be available to farmers, traders and agricultural workers interested in the subjects covered.

The Deputy Director General of IICA, Lloyd Day, said that “the development of innovative education mechanisms by IICA, FAO and the universities will make it possible to respond more efficiently to the needs of rural development and food security in the region.”

He added that IICA and FAO had a long history of partnering on food security in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the development of the online master’s degree course would build on their joint work.

“This is a very cost effective and meaningful way to contribute to the fight against hunger in the region,” observed Marcela Villarreal, Director of FAO’s Office for Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development.

“This new partnership will allow us to reach more people, helping them to design effective nutrition and food security policies and programs, and ultimately, helping them to improve quality of life. Scaling up food and nutrition policies is crucial to eradicate hunger by 2025,” commented Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Assistant Director-General.

“This agreement is about how knowledge and policy can join together to provide solutions to food insecurity,” noted Roberto Escalante, Secretary-General of UDUAL, which represents a network of 220 universities in LAC.

“Universities joining forces with organizations like FAO and IICA to build knowledge on food security is a great way to address hunger.”