Countries of the Americas to show strategic importance of farming at global forum in Rome

San Jose, 23 July 2021 (IICA) – The countries of the Americas are preparing for next week’s United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome with a unified position that will show the world the sustainability of agriculture in the region and emphasize the contribution they can made to the global fight against climate change.

These were some of the statements made by the ministers of agriculture of three countries in the hemisphere, along with high-ranking officials from another two nations and the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in a conversation with over 20 journalists from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain.

During the meeting, emphasis was placed on the opportunity afforded by the global events scheduled for this year for the region to show the world the reality of its livestock systems, which, through good practices, have a positive environmental impact thanks to the carbon sequestered in pasture soils.

The Pre-Summit will be held from 26-28 July in Rome as a preparatory event for the Food Systems Summit 2021, convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations with the mission to transform food production and consumption.

IICA is a member of the Summit Champions Network—one of the forum’s support structures—and will participate in representation of the agricultural and rural sectors of North and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Paraguay, Moisés Santiago Bertoni; the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of Guatemala, José Angel López; the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labor of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saboto Caesar; the Undersecretary of Policy Coordination of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina, Ariel Martínez; and Special Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, Fernando Zelner, participated in the press conference along with Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA.

“We will convey a joint vision of the realities of our production systems. Our region not only produces the most food, but also contributes the most ecosystem services. In terms of the environment, while we have common responsibilities, they are different. The impact of our farming on global greenhouse gas emissions is small”, stated Bertoni, chairman of the Executive Committee of IICA that approved the document “On the road to the United Nations Food Systems Summit: Key messages from the perspective of agriculture in the Americas” at its session on 28-29 June.

The document spotlights the role of farmers in strengthening the agrifood systems and lifts up agriculture as a key activity in eradiating poverty, driving rural development and protecting the environment.

“We are concerned about some of the issues being raised in the dialogues leading up to Summit. Agricultural trade is not being given its due importance, when the fact is that without it, we cannot speak of the sustainability of production systems”, added Bertoni.

For Minister López, the region “has a high potential for the development of agrifood systems thanks to its diverse climate and the ancestral knowledge of the indigenous peoples, but faces challenges in improving the livelihoods of the rural population”.

The minister from Guatemala underscored the fact that food production in Latin America and the Caribbean is not the main driver of climate change and has been working to achieve greater sustainability. He also raised the importance of farming for the economy of Central America, stating that food exports represent 50% of total shipments.

Minister Saboto Caesar spoke for the countries of the Caribbean in stating his concern that “in the last decade, we have experienced a decrease in exports to markets outside the region. In the past, for example, we were large exporters of banana to the United Kingdom. We, the small island states, need to be heard; we need to level the playing field so we can compete in the global market. We need the aid of international organizations like IICA. We are one hemisphere and we have a lot of work to do”.

Ariel Martínez highlighted the importance of the Americas having agreed to a unified message for the global forum on the future of agrifood systems.

“We have gained political muscle and will have a powerful voice as a region. We are not going to defend ourselves, but rather show how well we are doing things in terms of production, safety, price and sustainability. Our region must show that we are part of the solution and not the problem”, he stated.

The Argentine official noted that food production in Latin America guarantees global food security and that emphasis must be placed on adapting to, instead of mitigating climate change.

“We must transform at a different rate to the countries with more responsibility. Since our contribution to global greenhouse gases is less, even if we completely transformed our agriculture and were carbon neutral, we would still suffer from the effects of climate change”.

For his part, Zelner stated that the global debate would likely bring unbalanced visions and recognized the value of the agreement between the countries in the region to strengthen their position in what he called a conflict of narratives.

“The Summit is going to produce one narrative on what agrifood systems are and where they should be going, but the States are not involved in its preparation. The risk is that it forms a vision that goes against global trade and the consumption of animal protein. We are going to fight for the Summit to recognize the diversity of production systems”.

Zelner stated that it is necessary to show the positive aspects of the consumption of animal protein and questioned the discourse that proposes reducing global consumption, forgetting that the per capita consumption in developing countries is not yet at an appropriate level for adequate nutrition.

In turn, Manuel Otero explained that IICA “assumes the role of coordinating entity and is the voice of the agriculture of the Americas per the mandate of its 34 member states, who are its owners and define its technical cooperation agenda”.

IICA’s Director General summarized the different regional and hemispheric meetings that were held to encourage unanimity, which meant finding shared ideas in the context of the heterogeneity of agriculture in the region. “We understand that our strength lies in our heterogeneity”, he added.

Otero continued that Latin America and the Caribbean “is the largest net exporter of food in the world and 14% of jobs in the region stem from agriculture. With that same force, we must defend our agrifood systems. There can be no food without agricultural production and to have healthy foods, we need healthy rural communities”.

Finally, Otero underscored the sustainability of farming in the hemisphere: “Farming plays its part in climate change, just like any other goods or services industry, but it is also part of the solution. Our systems are not failing. While agriculture can be transformed, we must recognize all the good it has done. We must make clear the gravity of international trade and the importance of our national science and technology systems. We have everything we need to be the world’s guarantors of food security and sustainability”.

More information:

Institutional Communication Division

comunicacion.institucional@iica.int