San José, 14 July 2026 (IICA) – Science-based solutions, innovation and strong international cooperation are essential to building more sustainable agri-food systems and strengthening agriculture’s resilience to climate challenges, said the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Muhammad Ibrahim, during a meeting with international researchers held at the Institute’s headquarters in San José, Costa Rica.
Ibrahim stressed that no country can tackle this challenge alone and that knowledge sharing, collaborative research and technological innovation are fundamental to accelerating the transition toward more sustainable production systems.
Joining Ibrahim at the opening session of the Steering Committee of GRA, a global group of researchers on climate resilience, were Costa Rica’s Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Fernando Vargas Pérez; the Executive Director of Costa Rica’s National Institute for Innovation and Transfer in Agricultural Technology (INTA), Lilia Chaves Fallas—who assumed the presidency of the group—and the outgoing GRA Chair, John Harrison.
The speakers underscored the importance of international scientific cooperation in addressing the climate challenges facing the agricultural sector, strengthening food security and accelerating the adoption of sustainable production practices. They also emphasized the value of sharing knowledge and experiences among countries to advance more resilient, low-emission agri-food systems.
The IICA Director General highlighted the Institute’s role in bringing together hemispheric efforts to promote climate solutions grounded in scientific evidence.
In that regard, he explained that IICA serves as a bridge among ministries of agriculture, research institutions and other strategic stakeholders across the Americas, facilitating knowledge transfer, capacity building and the adoption of technologies that help translate science into concrete actions benefiting rural producers.
Ibrahim also emphasized the importance of engaging the private sector to expand the reach of good practices and accelerate the adoption of technologies that contribute to reducing emissions and strengthening the resilience of agri-food systems.
The GRA brings together countries, research institutions and international organizations committed to developing scientific solutions to reduce emissions from agriculture without compromising food production.
The group promotes international scientific cooperation and capacity building in areas such as livestock, rice, nutrient management, land use and carbon sequestration.
Costa Rica will hold the presidency of the GRA for the 2026-2027 period, following the transfer of leadership from Ireland.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
