The IICA Leaders of Rurality reflect on their challenges, in addressing the Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas

San Jose, 6 October 2023 (IICA) – The men and women whose daily toil in the fields makes a decisive contribution to food security and the well-being of their rural communities in this hemisphere spoke about their obstacles and needs, in addressing the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2023.
 
The three farmers who attended the three-day working meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica, were representing the 40 Leaders of Rurality from 20 countries who have been awarded the “Soul of Rurality” award by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

Since its creation in 2021, this award has been given to those who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of the Americas.
 
Eodora Méndez, who has tirelessly championed the well-being of Honduras’ small farmers; Rosamund Benn, a farmer who has encouraged dozens of rural women in Guyana to process and market their crops to improve their income and standard of living; and Alfredo Carrasco, a promotor of inclusive and integrative agriculture in Chile, were the three farmers honored at the meeting.

Through them, the Institute paid tribute to the millions of family farmers in the region who produce our food on a daily basis and also make a significant contribution to rural retention.
 
These Leaders of Rurality ensure that our people have food on their tables each day and are the stewards of the planet’s environmental sustainability and biodiversity. Their influence can be seen in the food that we eat, in every square of agricultural land and in the communities where they live. These are the men and women who take care of the soil and water, and in so, doing build a more resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.

 
Overcoming obstacles

The ministers and top agricultural officials of the 34 Member States participating in the conference at IICA Headquarters thanked the farmers for their leadership and encouraged the Institute to continue and expand this initiative to showcase these individuals.

Rosamund Benn, Alfredo Carrasco and Eodora Méndez took part in a discussion during the conference, in which they described their daily work and reflected on the obstacles facing small farmers in the Americas. Pía Castro, a journalist at German television station, DW, was the moderator.

Benn, a coconut oil producer from Guyana, explained that she works with 12 women’s groups, constantly encouraging them not to give up when faced with adversities.   

She said that, “Sometimes people get tired and move to the city. But they regret it later, because they miss home, where they could have continued to practice what they learned from their ancestors. The women I work with produce various crops and face challenges such as finding packaging material and transporting their products to markets, because transportation costs make it difficult”.

Benn agreed that small farmers must be recognized. “They protect their communities and agriculture is what will allow them to return and restore their connection to the land”.

Alfredo Carrasco is the mastermind behind and director of the inclusive project, FarmHability, which seeks to involve in agriculture those individuals who usually lack opportunities. He thanked IICA for highlighting the fact that even people with disabilities can be productive in rural areas and produce food on a commercial scale.

“Our task—he said—is to provide training and tools for those with disabilities and elderly people to enable them to find employment, as well as to educate organizations so that they will employ them”.

Carrasco went on to say that the different countries have many problems in common. “Knowing that we can find common solutions is fundamental for us as rural leaders. It is our responsibility to share what we are learning and to recognize all that we can do”.

On the other hand, Eodora Méndez told the delegates that she heads a rural organization that has members in different departments of Honduras. “We support farmers who need technical assistance to improve their production. Thanks to the support of IICA and other organizations, we are making progress”, she reported.

Méndez was visibly moved by her participation in the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas and assured everyone that she was keenly following the discussions.

She emphasizes that, “We must provide tools for the economic and production development of our land. Without production, people will have no food, no life and no health. Those of us who work in the fields each day are extremely proud about the importance of agriculture. The pandemic was very hard for us and ultimately led to increased prices for the inputs that we use. But we know that for every problem there is a solution”.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int