"For the third consecutive year, we have succeeded in giving agriculture in the Americas its own voice in climate negotiations," said IICA Director General Manuel Otero ahead of COP 29

San José, 6 November 2024 (IICA). "For the third consecutive year, and as a result of a great joint effort with our public and private sector partners, we are ensuring that agriculture in the Americas has its own voice in the climate negotiations being conducted by the international community," said the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, announcing the presence of a dedicated pavilion at COP 29 in Baku.

The space, called the Home of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas, will once again serve as a focal point for discussions on the relationship between agriculture and climate. IICA’s pavilion was also present at COP 27 in Egypt in 2022 and at COP 28 in the United Arab Emirates in 2023.

“It will be an open pavilion for key players in the ecosystem of our hemisphere’s agri-food systems, who are committed to the ongoing transformations, as well as for the rest of the world,” stated the IICA Director General.

Otero explained that agriculture has an essential role in mitigating climate change, while also undergoing a transformation to adapt to the increasingly adverse production conditions ushered in by the climate crisis.

In this regard, the Director General explained that IICA and its public and private sector partners will bring three key messages to the negotiations on how the world will continue to address outstanding challenges.

“First, we will emphasize that farmers must be at the center of all our efforts and have a seat at the decision-making table; second, that science and innovation are essential tools to address climate challenges; and finally, that agriculture is part of the solution,” Otero stated.

An essential region

IICA represents 34 countries across the Americas, a region that ensures global food security while also being rich in biodiversity, fresh water, and arable land. For this reason, it is crucial to have its presence in the space where the international community discusses the future of production and consumption methods in the context of the climate emergency.

“Latin America and the Caribbean,” explained Otero, “is the world’s leading net food-exporting region, and this trend is expected to strengthen in the near future. Furthermore, due to our natural resources, we are key players in the planet's environmental sustainability.”

“We are convinced,” he added, “that agriculture is irreplaceable as a provider of food, and it is also a vital sector for climate change mitigation. At the same time, it needs to transform to adapt to the new conditions imposed by climate change.”

The IICA Director General explained that the Home of Agriculture of the Americas—opening on November 11 at the Baku Olympic Stadium—will host around 50 conferences to discuss various topics related to the connection between agriculture and the environment. Some of these topics will include financing for sustainable production and adaptation, soil health, regenerative agriculture, and the circular economy.

“We are going to Azerbaijan with a voice of hope and encouragement, because this is the time for agriculture in the Americas. We believe in the strength of our farmers, our businesspeople, our entrepreneurs, and, fundamentally, in the Ministers of Agriculture of the hemisphere who will gather at COP 29,” he noted.

Otero also revealed that the participation of the agricultural sector from the Americas at COP 29 in Baku will serve as preparation for the prominent role it will undoubtedly have at COP 30 in November 2025, when the United Nations Climate Change Conference will return to the Americas in Belem do Pará, Brazil.

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