Available in a Web-based version and on Android devices, the app provides agricultural producers and workers with protection and biosafety recommendations within the context of the current pandemic.
San Jose, 6 May 2020 (IICA). The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the European Union developed an application that provides preventive recommendations and measures to strengthen biosafety within the agrifood chain of countries in the Americas.
The initiative, which is being implemented within the framework of the AGRO-INNOVA project, is geared towards agricultural producers and workers in the field as well as those involved in distribution, transportation, agroindustry operations, supply centers, wholesale markets and local fairs.
The application is available on the following platforms:
- Website: http://med-agro.iica.int/
- For free in the Android app store, by searching for AGROInfoCOVI19
- Using the following QR code:
The platform was created to provide a concrete response to requests made by ministers and secretaries of Agriculture in the region. For instance, during an extraordinary virtual meeting with IICA, the ministers of Agriculture of Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic requested actions to prevent and strengthen biosafety among all stakeholders involved in the agrifood sector, so as to guarantee the continuity of food production and distribution during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, during a virtual meeting of ministers of the Andean Region and Chile, in which IICA also participated, the participants underscored the importance of having access to concrete tools that would allow for strengthening national actions to protect agricultural and food production activities and, in turn, guaranteeing the safety of all stakeholders involved in agrifood systems.
During those meetings, the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, highlighted the Institute’s efforts to channel all of its specialized technical cooperation services towards addressing regional demands and strategies. He also referred to the Institute’s desire to strengthen synergies with its primary partners, such as the European Union, in order to provide concrete responses to better address the impact of the crisis on the agrifood sector.
Likewise, Alberto Menghini, Head of the European Union’s Regional Cooperation Team, highlighted the relevance of actions generated by the EU and IICA within the framework of regional projects. He remarked that the application was an example of innovation and an effective response to current conditions.
About AGRO-INNOVA
Created in 2019, the project was announced during the PreCOP25 meeting in Costa Rica, which was attended by the ministers of Agriculture and the Environment of Central America and the Dominican Republic.
The Innovative Multi-Strata Agroforestry Systems in the Central American Dry Corridor (AGRO-INNOVA) project is an ambitious initiative aimed at increasing climate resilience and improving food security among 3,000 small-scale producers of basic grains.
More information:
Erick Quirós, IICA Special Affairs Coordinator for the Central Region
Pedro Avendaño, responsible for the AGROINNOVA project
