Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agriculture Climate change Food safety

Meeting of senior agricultural officials from the hemisphere, convened by IICA, is under way in Mexico

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Climate change and food security set to dominate the discussions in which delegations from 20 countries are taking part.

The meeting is being held in México, from June 17 to June 18.

Mexico City, June 17, 2013 (IICA). The meeting of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), bringing together delegations from 20 countries, is under way in Mexico, with a call for joint efforts to meet the challenges posed by development, climate change and food security.

Ricardo Aguilar, the Under Secretary for Food and Competitiveness of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), inaugurated the meeting and asked the delegates to “establish the principle of “growing together” as a goal, as joint efforts are the best way to tackle the challenges posed by climate change, such as droughts, frost, pests, floods…”

According to the host of the meeting, the objective is for “all people in all of our countries to have access to good quality food.”

“The countries need to develop all their potential to make competitive and sustainable agriculture in the Americas possible,” observed Víctor M. Villalobos, the Director General of IICA. Twelve nations in the hemisphere are taking part in the event, along with eight observer countries and Spain, which is an associate member of the Institute.

Mr. Villalobos called for food security to be made a priority: it should be “at the heart of domestic and international agendas. IICA is committed to the efforts of several countries [in this field], some of which have already been implemented, while others are ongoing.”

He singled out for special mention the effort initiated by Mexico known as the “Crusade against Hunger,” a battle in which everyone needed to get involved. “If only all the wars in the world were like this one,” he remarked.

The meeting of the Executive Committee marks the beginning of a hemispheric dialogue aimed at improving the integrated use of water in agriculture; the delegations will receive details of the progress of a technical proposal on this vital issue, on which experts from IICA and the Government of Argentina have been working.

The discussions will conclude in Argentina in September this year, when the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA) meets in Buenos Aires, under the aegis of the Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas.

For more information, contact: 
evangelina.beltran@iica.int

 

Share

Related news​

San José

February 28, 2025

Rosina Rodríguez, an apple grower, whose farm “belongs to Uruguay and the upcoming generations” is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Thanks to this IICA accolade, Rosina will receive the “Soul of Rurality” award, as part of an initiative by the specialized organization for agricultural development and rural well-being in the Americas to shine the spotlight on men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of the hemisphere, given their essential role as providers of  food and nutritional security, who are also ensuring production and environmental sustainability.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Madrid, España

February 27, 2025

During meeting of the NGIN International Coalition, IICA reaffirms its commitment to ensuring rural youth play a leading role in agricultural transformation

The NGIN Coalition is a key ally of IICA in its efforts to enhance youth participation in agricultural modernization. Over the past three years, their joint work has been geared towards generating opportunities for young leaders of the Americas, facilitating their access to decision-making forums.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José

February 25, 2025

IICA will implement project in Belize to enhance the resilience of the agroproductive sector

The initiative, entitled “Creating Opportunities to Support Alternative Livelihoods”, is Component 3 of the “Building Community Resilience via Transformative Adaptation” project (EDA Project) of the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT).

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins