Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural Health Agriculture Food and nutrition security Food safety

International Atomic Energy Agency and IICA agree on joint actions to accelerate agricultural transformation in the Americas

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

The IAEA and IICA have been collaborating and exchanging information since at least 2007, with a view to addressing new challenges related to food security.

El Director General del Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA), Rafael Grossi, y el Director General del IICA, Manuel Otero. 

Buenos Aires, 26 April 2023 (IICA) – The directors general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Rafael Grossi and Manuel Otero, respectively, held a virtual meeting in which they agreed to increase collaboration between the two agencies to generate a positive impact in areas such as plant and animal health, for the benefit of Latin American and Caribbean countries and global food security.
 
During the meeting, directors Grossi and Otero, both of whom are Argentine nationals, discussed areas in which cooperation can be strengthened, which are primarily related to specific diseases or pests, such as the Fusarium fungus or the screwworm, as well as technological innovations. Other areas highlighted were knowledge-intensive agriculture and the role of science and innovation for agricultural and rural development.
 
“Nuclear technology contributes to sustainable agriculture and food security. I am delighted to have been able to meet with Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA, with whom I have agreed to strengthen collaboration between the IAEA and IICA for the benefit of Latin American countries”, remarked Grossi after the meeting.
 
“We agreed to intensify contact between our technical teams and to sign an agreement based on concrete and verifiable actions, possibly in July. It was a very pleasant meeting between two Argentine directors general who project their country’s image at the international and regional levels. Rafael Grossi conducts substantial work at the international level, and through its work in the hemisphere, IICA is also seeking to bolster international recognition of the region’s crucial role for food security”, noted Otero.
 
The IAEA and IICA have been collaborating and exchanging information since at least 2007, with a view to addressing new challenges related to food security.
 
One area of cooperation will be combating the Tropical Race 4 (TR4) fusarium wilt disease, which seriously threatens global banana production. With the support of IICA, the IAEA recently trained scientists from six Latin American countries in using nuclear and related techniques to detect and contain the disease.
 
The IAEA assists Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean in the prevention and progressive control of the screwworm, which causes a parasitic infestation of the body that affects animals and humans. The most devastating effect is on livestock production, through mortality and reduced milk and meat yield.

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

Share

Related news​

San José, Costa Rica

July 4, 2025

A new IDB-IICA publication maps the sustainable livestock farming initiatives underway in the countries of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS)

This document summarizes the work carried out during the first year of operation of the Sustainable Cattle Farming Platform of the Americas. This is a collaborative space managed jointly by IICA and the IDB whose mission is to contribute to information sharing, collaboration, and the generation and dissemination of knowledge on the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of livestock production systems that coexist in the different regions of the Americas.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

July 3, 2025

IICA promotes environmental education in the classroom with its handover of the first Urban Productive Garden in Costa Rica

Officers of IICA’s Community Outreach Association, APC, handed over tools and guides to the “República de Paraguay” school, for the purpose of establishing a productive garden.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Manuel Otero, Director General del IICA; José Emilio Guerrero, profesor de la UCO de España; Rosa Gallardo, Directora de la Cátedra de Inteligencia Artificial y Agricultura del mismo centro académico; Carlos Alzate, experto en IA y CEO de AI Fund; Gloria Abraham, Carlos Gustavo Cano Sanz, Eduardo Trigo, y Martín Piñeiro, miembros del Consejo Asesor para la Transformación de los Sistemas Agroalimentarios del Instituto; y Jorge Werthein, Asesor Especial del Director General del IICA.

San José, Costa Rica

July 3, 2025

Artificial intelligence represents a revolution with great potential for agriculture, experts say during IICA’s Advisory Council session on Agri-food Systems Transformation

During the discussion, participants emphasized the need for the integration of AI to be an inclusive process, with special attention given to small-scale and family farmers. It was also stressed that AI should not be seen as an end in itself, but rather as a means to transform agriculture with a focus on value chains.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins