Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agriculture

The Director General of the FAO was presented in Rome with a document that reflects the consensus position of the countries of the Americas ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

The countries of the Americas came to the Pre-Summit, having achieved a consensus position, after extensive dialogue and debate. The Pre-Summit is the preparatory event for the global forum that will take place in New York in September, in parallel with the UN General Assembly.

Tere Fao

Rome, 30 July 2021 (IICA). – The Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, was presented with a document outlining the perspective of the Americas on agri-food systems, which had been approved at the latest meeting of the Executive Committee of IICA (The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). It establishes the position of the countries of the Hemisphere ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit.

The document was presented to Qu Dongyu by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, Tereza Cristina, who remarked that “the unique characteristics of the different regions of the world must be considered in this debate”.

The Brazilian minister—who is in Rome participating in the Food Systems Pre-Summit—explained that at the meeting with the head of FAO, the role of Brazilian agriculture in global food security and its sustainable production practices were highlighted. She also indicated that “Brazil maintains that the diversity of food systems must be respected”.

The countries of the Americas came to the Pre-Summit, having achieved a consensus position, after extensive dialogue and debate.  The Pre-Summit is the preparatory event for the global forum that will take place in New York in September, in parallel with the UN General Assembly.

The position defines key principles and messages ahead of a Summit that is intended to establish the framework for commitments and measures specifically aimed at improving the world’s food systems.

The Summit was convened by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in order to place the planet on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – proposals that are seeking to create a framework for peace and the prosperity of the world’s population.

The ministers of Agriculture of the Americas, in endorsing this unity in action posture to take to the Summit, approved a resolution maintaining that farmers must be duly represented and their critical role in food systems recognized.

The Brazilian minister confirmed that, “I presented the Director General of FAO with the document prepared by IICA, in collaboration with the countries”.

The position of the countries of the Americas was consolidated around 16 key messages, included in the document “On the road to the UN Food Systems Summit: Key messages from the perspective of agriculture in Americas”, with the countries then coordinating with IICA to include their own perspective.

The document contains 16 key messages about the vital role of agriculture, highlighting the fact that farmers and food systems’ workers are a critical and key link and that without agricultural production there would be now raw material to transform into food.

It also stresses that agriculture is a fundamental activity in eradicating poverty, stimulating rural development and ensuring environmental protection.

 

More information:

Institutional Communication Division

comunicacion.institucional@iica.int

 

Share

Related news​

El presidente de la Bolsa de Cereales de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ricardo Marra, durante su participación en el diálogo hemisférico Experiencias transformadoras y escalables para una nueva generación de políticas públicas para los sistemas agroalimentarios.

San José, Costa Rica

October 10, 2025

At IICA Headquarters in Costa Rica, Ricardo Marra, President of the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, calls for all stakeholders to be involved in the construction of sustainable agrifood policies in order to produce better

He emphasized the importance of the issue during the hemispheric dialogue, “Transformative and scalable experiences for a new generation of public policies for agrifood systems”

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

October 10, 2025

Experts from international organizations, attending a meeting at IICA, argued that the challenging global environment calls for a new generation of public policies for agrifood systems

Various experts from international organizations attending a meeting at the Headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) agreed that the challenging global environment of geopolitical changes, extreme weather phenomena and ecological transformations calls for the development of a new generation of public policies for agrifood systems.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

México

October 8, 2025

Gisela Illescas Palma, a rural leader enamored with the countryside and a promoter of sustainable development and a unique coffee brand, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Illescas stands out for her work aimed at driving the development of dozens of farming families in her region, her efforts to defend rural women’s rights, and her passion for the land and coffee, which serves as an inspiration for others.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins