Ministers of Agriculture of Latin America and the Caribbean will analyze the sector’s role in restoring regional economies and guaranteeing global food security

San Jose, 23 November 2022 (IICA).  The Ministers and Secretaries of Agriculture of Argentina, Colombia, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago will discuss the role of agriculture of the Americas in driving the region’s economic recovery and global food security; the sector’s environmental impact; and the ways in which technology can contribute to overcoming current challenges, including fertilizer shortages.
 
The virtual event, entitled “Feeding the World: A Conversation with Latin American and Caribbean Agriculture Ministers”, will be held on 28 November at 10 a.m. (EST). It is being organized by the Wilson Center and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
 
Participating in the discussion will be Juan José Bahillo, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina; Cecilia López Montaño, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia; Laura Suazo, Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras; and Kazim Hosein, Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries of Trinidad and Tobago.
 
Benjamin Gedan, Acting Director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program and Director of its Argentina Project, will introduce the dialogue, while IICA’s Director General, Manuel Otero, will share the conclusions.
 
Paula Szenkman, Director of the Economic Development Program of the Center for the Implementation of Public Policies for Equity and Growth (CIPPEC), will serve as moderator.
 
The Wilson Center is a leading U.S. forum for tackling global issues through independent research and dialogue. It was established by the U.S. Congress in 1968 as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson. Its Advisory Council is comprised of private sector leaders and former public officials from various countries in the Americas.
 
Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish-English will be available during the event. Participants may register for the event at the following link: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/feeding-world-conversation-latin-american-caribbean-agriculture-ministers. 
 
The discussion will seek to contextualize disruptions in global trade, production and consumption patterns triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Eastern Europe, which have led to an increase in the cost of fertilizers and a decrease in their supply.
 
This scenario has complicated countries’ efforts to reduce food insecurity and made it more difficult for farmers in the region to increase their productivity and take advantage of current food prices.
 
The ministers will also discuss the environmental impacts of agriculture, including carbon and methane emissions and deforestation, which could aggravate the impact of climate change on Latin America and the Caribbean.
 
Producers in South America, for instance, are affected by droughts that devastate soybean and wheat crops, while the Central American Dry Corridor faces droughts, floods and hurricanes that also directly impact Caribbean farmers.

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