The Institute has opted for a management approach based on verifiable and measurable results.
San Jose, Costa Rica, September 24, 2014 (IICA). Last Tuesday, September 23, marked the official launch of the major projects under which the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will perform its work during the period 2014-2018. The projects in question will enable the organization to support agricultural development in the hemisphere in a highly efficient and transparent manner.
The flagship projects (FPs) will focus on the competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural chains for food security and economic development; inclusion in agriculture and rural territories; resilience and comprehensive risk management in agriculture; and the productivity and sustainability of family agriculture for food security and the rural economy.
The projects are set out in IICA’s 2014-2018 Medium-term Plan (MTP), approved by the organization’s Executive Committee in May.
Víctor M. Villalobos, the Director General of the Institute, explained that the new cooperation model is designed to obtain results of the highest quality that will impact agriculture in the 34 member countries by means of verifiable and measurable contributions to the improvement of productivity and competitiveness, food security and rural development, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Furthermore, IICA aims to make concrete contributions to agricultural innovation, the efficient use of water in agriculture and greater inclusion of family farming and rural women and young people.
In order to achieve its objectives, IICA has adopted a results-based management approach, with the FPs being used to harness all the institution’s technical capabilities via its network of specialists in the countries of the Americas and Spain.
“We want each FP to be the resource that both triggers and benefits the hemisphere’s agricultural sector. In this way, we shall be best able to respond to the expectations of our member countries and enhance our reputation, our institutional prestige,” Villalobos observed.
IICA’s other cooperation instruments are the externally funded projects, the rapid response actions and the pre-investment initiatives, aimed at mobilizing complementary financial resources for technical cooperation.
The Institute also carries out actions to strengthen the capabilities of its member countries in the area of agricultural health and food safety.
“We are ready for the next phase, which begins today with the implementation of the projects in the countries and places where we can have the biggest impact and use our resources efficiently,” the Director General of IICA concluded.
For further information:
diego.montenegro@iica.int
salvador.fernandez@iica.int
