Berlin, 13 January 2025 (IICA). Women and men of the Americas who work every day to promote food security, conservation and the well-being of their communities will be honored with a photo exhibition that the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will inaugurate in Berlin during the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA).
IICA Director General Manuel Otero will offer the ministers of agriculture attending the event in the German capital, who include host minister Cem Özdemir, a guided tour of the exhibition, which reflects the day-to-day work of the Rural Leaders whom the inter-American organization has recognized since 2021 for their unique role in the rural areas of the Americas.
Regarded as one of the world’s most important discussion forums on food and agriculture, the GFFA is being organized by the Government of Germany and will be taking place in Berlin from January 15 to 18. Each year, it brings together officials, members of international organizations, business leaders and experts from around the world to discuss the strengthening of agrifood systems and the coordination of efforts aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
IICA will once again be taking part in the forum, whose most important political event is the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture. The largest of its kind in the world, the Conference regularly attracts around 70 ministers, who engage in discussions on important issues and possible areas of cooperation.
This year’s meeting will focus on certain specific aspects of the bioeconomy, namely: how to produce and use biomass sustainably; the strengthening of innovation and the creation of fair framework conditions for taking advantage of change. Hugo Chavarría, the Manager of IICA’s Innovation and Bioeconomy Program and Executive Secretary of the Latin American Bioeconomy Network, will take part in the discussions.
Lives dedicated to the land
“Leaders of Rurality of the Americas: Custodians of Food Security and Biodiversity” is the title of the photo exhibition that IICA is to hold in Berlin, thanks to the collaboration of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
“This initiative is designed to highlight and pay tribute to the millions of rural men and women in Latin America and the Caribbean who dedicate their lives to the land. They make a difference by caring for the countryside and ensuring we have healthy, nutritious food on our tables. They promote the well-being of their communities and are inspiring young people to build a new rurality, one that is more mindful of the environment, as well as creative, innovative and productive,” said Manuel Otero before traveling to Berlin.
The traveling exhibition, designed by IICA with the support of Bayer and the CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, is a selection of 24 photos taken by photographer Cecilia Duarte and curator Virginia Fabri. It tells the stories of peasants, family farmers, medium-sized producers, members of indigenous communities, teachers, students, agents of innovation and technology, and advocates for the empowerment and visibility of women and youth from 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
