Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural chains Competitiveness Renewable energies

New book promotes efficient energy use to improve competitiveness and sustainability in agricultural chains

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

The publication, produced by IICA, was launched today in the context of the Seventh Latin American and Caribbean Energy Efficiency Seminar held in Uruguay.

Book cover.

San Jose, April 27, 2016 (IICA). Increasing productivity levels and competitiveness through efficient use of energy sources and achieving sustainability of production systems is the aim of the new publication entitled “Efficient energy use in agrifood chains” produced by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The book was formally presented today at the Seventh Latin American and Caribbean Energy Efficiency Seminar, which is taking place in Montevideo, Uruguay. For the first time, the event is being attended by representatives of the agricultural sector, and has been organized jointly by the country’s Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM), the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) and the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The book contains a systematization of methodologies for the efficient use of energy and seeks to address the challenges and opportunities afforded by agriculture, such as cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, promoting sustainable soil use, reducing the carbon footprint and promoting the effective management of renewable energy sources.

“The objective is to know how to make efficient use of natural resources – whether we are talking about energy, water or soil. The book promotes a more efficient use of energy, because this has an impact on cost structures, is of great importance in production chains and provides economic, social and environmental benefits,” explained the author, IICA’s Specialist in Renewable Energies, Orlando Vega.

The book aims to strengthen capabilities for managing energy efficiency at different stages of the process of aggregation of value and to improve competitiveness, in the context of IICA’s Flagship Project “Competitiveness and Sustainability of Agricultural Chains.”

Because of its versatility in terms of energy, the agricultural sector is a major source of inputs for producing other energy products. Furthermore, it is an end consumer of usable energy, which, in turn, plays a key role in food and nutritional security.

“Energy is a universal input that is needed throughout each stage of the agricultural chain, from the seed to the research; in every development of new varieties and in genetic improvement, energy is implicit,” concluded Vega. 

More information: orlando.vega@iica.int

Book: Efficient energy use in agrifood chains

Orlando Vega’s presentation in the Seventh Latin American and Caribbean Energy Efficiency Seminar 

 

Share

Related news​

Lima, Perú

December 13, 2024

Officials from CAN member countries strengthen their agrifood trade capacities, with the support of IICA

The aim of the activity, which was held at the Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Andean Community in Lima, was to analyze the main mechanisms and principles that foster international agrifood trade and regional economic integration in CAN, as a means of fostering more effective participation in international forums and joint actions to strengthen agrifood systems, as well as to facilitate access to regional and international markets.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

December 12, 2024

U.S. Department of Agriculture and IICA visited Trinidad and Tobago as their second stop in the testing program against the African Swine Fever

In a joint effort between experts from IICA and the USDA, Trinidad and Tobago was visited, as the second country in the Caribbean to establish the surveillance and prevention strategy, as the actions to be taken against the ASF, a program that will be extended to other countries in the region.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

December 10, 2024

With global production growing by 50% over the past decade, liquid biofuels continue to consolidate their position as a key tool for the energy transition, reveals the latest edition of the IICA Atlas

The latest edition of the Atlas focuses on biofuels such as bioethanol, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuels, with information drawn from bibliographic sources and complemented by statistical data on raw materials, production trends, and regulatory policies.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins