Brasilia, 4 November 2025 (IICA) – Today, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is a modern, responsive and forward-thinking institution that is devoid of bureaucracy and works closely with its member countries. No longer seen as a niche technical organization, the Institute has become a true hub of innovation and agricultural cooperation in the hemisphere.
This was the view expressed by IICA Director General, Manuel Otero, as he presented a report on his tenure during the first day of meetings of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas, taking place in Brasilia.
Approximately thirty ministers and deputy ministers of Agriculture of the region are participating in the meeting, which has been organized by the Brazilian government and IICA, under the title “A New Narrative for Agriculture and Agrifood Systems of the Americas”.
Otero expressed emotion at the prospect of ending his eight-year tenure at the helm of IICA. His successor to the post of Director General will be elected during the meeting in Brasilia and will assume office next January.
The ministers and heads of delegation attending the meeting highlighted Otero’s efforts to work closely with the countries and farmers, as well as his continuous drive to incorporate science and technology as tools to boost agricultural productivity and resilience.
“IICA is my home, my passion. From my first day as Director General in January 2018, I recognized that this would not be a personal mission, but a collective journey. My efforts would have been fruitless without the support of the representatives of the member countries of this organization, my colleagues and staff at IICA and the farmers, who are the inspiration for our daily work”.
Otero thanked the entire Government of Brazil and specifically Minister Fávaro for their commitment to host the Conference, which he said was akin to the commitment of the Brazilian farmers, who in just a few years had led a major change to transform a food insecure country into a global agrifood powerhouse, with the support of long-term policies.
In opening his presentation, Otero also expressed solidarity with the countries of the Caribbean, particularly The Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which had been battered by Hurricane Melissa. He also announced that IICA had established an emergency fund for these countries. Along with this fund, technical resources will be mobilized to assist in mitigating the effect on farms, farmers and the tools of their trade.
A provider of solutions
“Through ongoing dialogue with the ministers of Agriculture of the Americas, we have seen that IICA’s renewal and modernization, achieved in a complex international scenario, has repositioned the institution as a major provider of solutions. We have also witnessed its capacity to influence the development of a vision and narrative for agriculture that is inextricably tied to countries’ development strategies”, said Otero.
The Director General highlighted IICA’s work aimed at fostering rural connectivity and digitalization, Agriculture 4.0 and the bioeconomy, through initiatives such as the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture (CIMAG), which welcomes about 25,000 young visitors every year in Costa Rica alone.
He also referred to the Institute’s agricultural diplomacy efforts, noting that it has amplified the voice of the region’s farmers in relevant international forums such as the COP, WTO, G20 and OAS. He also highlighted the strengthening of partnerships with strategic stakeholders such as EMBRAPA, INTA, PROCISUR, CIMMYT, AGRA, APPRESID, the Dominican JAD, universities, scientists and producers’ organizations.
Otero stated that IICA had served as a major bridge between the ministries of Agriculture of the countries, to which the Institute is accountable, and the private sector, the backbone of agricultural development. This had enabled IICA to make an important contribution in terms of rallying the agricultural ecosystem behind the idea that agriculture in the Americas is part of the global solution, not the problem.
“We set out to ensure that society and its representatives increasingly prioritize, recognize and value agriculture, an irreplaceable sector for food security, social peace, the preservation of natural resources, job creation, foreign exchange generation, and interaction with science, technology and innovation”, he noted.
“Today’s IICA”, he added, “is similar to the one we dreamt of a few years ago—one that is capable of developing a new map of strategic partnerships, projecting its image, and implementing an aggressive strategy to attract external resources in order to better serve our countries”.
In concluding his term in office, Otero revealed what he hoped his legacy would be: the certainty that the future of agriculture in the Americas does not lie in longing for the past, “but rather in building what we can and must be. In that regard, the time has come to consolidate a new narrative for agriculture, one that speaks of modernity, sustainability, digital and biological innovation, and social responsibility and commitment. A narrative that projects the region’s agriculture as a reliable supplier of food, clean energy, fibers and ecosystem services for the rest of the world”.
“When farmers sow their seeds, they are not only thinking about the next harvest; they are thinking about the future generations. Our work in international cooperation is the same: we are sowing the future, even when others may be the ones to reap the rewards. With infinite gratitude and renewed hope, I affirm my steadfast conviction that agriculture in the Americas will continue to be a beacon of food security and rural dignity for the entire world”, concluded the Director General.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
