Challenges facing agriculture require urgent interagency partnerships
San Jose, Costa Rica, July 14, 2011 (IICA). The current global context, characterized by economic, social and environmental instability, makes it impossible for a single institution to meet all existing needs related to the development of agriculture in the hemisphere. Therefore, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is consolidating existing partnerships and promoting the implementation of new technical cooperation projects.
The European Union (EU), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Finnish Cooperation Agency are only some of IICA’s partners.
“This is a win-win relationship” said IICA Director General Victor M. Villalobos.
The Institute is also exploring new types of cooperation with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), two long-time partners of the Institute.
The IICA Executive Committee discussed in detail the work carried out via these partnerships, which, according to the delegate from the Dominican Republic, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Sector Planning Cesar Adolfo Guerrero, are important in that they help to avoid the duplication of efforts between cooperation agencies and to make maximum use of available resources.
The Caribbean, especially Haiti, is one region to which international cooperation agencies have turned their attention. Following the January 2010 earthquake, IICA and IFAD agreed to create a food security program, valued at approximately US$1.3 million, aimed at helping the affected population by producing higher quality food more rapidly and creating jobs.
Two of the five joint IICA-EU projects currently underway are being implemented in Haiti. The first, valued at US$3.9 million, is aimed at reinforcing the monitoring of food security in that country, and the other, in the amount of US$2.9 million, aimed at strengthening the Madame Francine mango chain.
In addition, IICA signed a US$20 million agreement with CIDA to fund an agricultural insurance program, and another with the Australian Agency for International Development to finance the construction of cisterns for rainwater catchment and storage, valued at US$750,000.
The agricultural sectors of the other countries of the Americas have also benefitted from partnerships promoted by IICA.
At the beginning of this year, IICA signed a US$4 million grant agreement with IFAD for a program on knowledge management in the semi-arid zone of northeast Brazil.
Additionally, IICA is involved with the EU in projects totaling US$11.3 in Central America, Jamaica and the countries of MERCOSUR, dealing with research and innovation in agricultural value chains, capacity building in organizations of beekeepers, the design and implementation of the MERCOSUR virtual school and another project called “Toward a Knowledge-based Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
In the Andean Region, the Government of Finland has entrusted IICA with implementing two programs: “Partnership in Energy and Environment with the Andean Region” and “Sustainable Forest Management in the Andean Region,” valued at US$18 million.
Another strategic partner is the Spain-SICA Fund, with which IICA, through the Secretariat of the Central American Agricultural Council, is implementing the Plan in Support of the Regional Strategies in Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Security and the Central American Strategy for Rural-area Based Development, with a grant of nearly US$7.4 million.
A project valued at USS$3 million is underway with the Republic of China (Taiwan) to increase food production and quality in Central America and the Dominican Republic.
In addition, new projects in the amount of US$34 million are being negotiated with the EU for implementation in the Caribbean.
According to the Director General of IICA, work with strategic partners and the implementation of joint projects will continue to be pillars of the Institute’s efforts, with a view to making better use of resources and focusing efforts to comply with the mandate received from the Member States to promote the development of competitive and sustainable agriculture.
For more information, contact:
victor.delangel@iica.int