Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

International Trade and Regional Integration

Open and transparent international agrifood trade, based on multilateral rules, is critical in enabling the Americas to fulfill its pivotal role in food security and agrifood system transformation.

Herein lies the importance of strengthening the multilateral trade system to allow the region to capitalize on its production and trade potential. As such, countries must make better use of opportunities afforded by the signing of trade agreements and by integration processes (trade policy, administration of agreements and trade promotion), to spur economic recovery and increased food security.

Moreover, in the current climate, there is a clear need to link the issues of trade and the environment. The region can capitalize on its wealth of natural resources and the efficiency of its production systems to increase its presence in international markets and to deepen integration processes to contribute to the supply of healthy, nutritious and safe food, produced in an environmentally responsible manner.

The International Trade and Regional Integration Program will continue to provide support to member countries to improve their access to international markets, deepen their regional integration and increase their contribution to agrifood system transformation. To this end, it will focus on two strategic lines of action:

  • Improving market access and implementing trade policies to promote openness, transparency and the free flow of international trade, while preventing or reducing trade barriers. To this end, it will implement actions to strengthen multilateral governance, in order to guarantee open, transparent and predictable international trade and to enable the region to fulfill its role in achieving food security and agrifood system transformation. It will also seek to support the effective participation of countries in international fora; improve regulatory frameworks governing international and regional trade; and increase the capacity of key stakeholders to administer trade agreements. Moreover, it will aim to improve market access and promote intraregional trade, with a view to diversifying trade partners and reducing the negative impact of shocks on international markets, while promoting regulatory convergence and trade facilitation.
  • Identifying and capitalizing on opportunities afforded by trade agreements and integration processes. Taking into account changes in trade flows and intraregional trade, the aim is to develop differentiated strategies, specific to markets, chains or products, and to strengthen the export capacities of companies and producer organizations. The program will also create forums to facilitate trade, through the use of new technologies, such as virtual business roundtables, e-commerce platforms, trade fairs and face-to-face trade missions; and promote linkages at the regional and global levels, as a means of improving access to export markets and contributing to food security and economic and social recovery, in response to markets shocks. As such, it will also promote rural tourism, in particular in countries in which tourism is a predominant sector, for example, in the Caribbean.

Specialist

Program Manager

 

Technical team

 

Advisory team

  • Felix Peña, Argentina
  • Martín Piñeiro, Argentina
  • Osvaldo Rosales, Chile

Contact us

Daniel Rodríguez Sáenz

Program manager

daniel.rodriguez@iica.int

Cooperación Técnica

dct@iica.int

Compartir

Multimedia

Explore our videos and discover IICA’s impact on agriculture and rural development throughout the region.

Canada

July 24, 2025

Leaders Panel: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Agriculture Today

Canada

July 24, 2025

Leaders Panel: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Agriculture Today

Buenos Aires, Argentina

August 8, 2025

New narrative for agriculture must be jointly developed and address consumers’ needs, agree participants at AAPRESID Conference, with noteworthy participation by IICA

The three-day conference will spotlight key issues related to the future of agriculture, which must drive innovation in science and production. For the second consecutive year, IICA is participating actively in the conference, one of the year’s most important events for the agriculture sector in Latin America.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Buenos Aires, Argentina

August 7, 2025

IICA will serve as a bridge for intensified trade and agricultural cooperation between Argentina and Central America and the Caribbean, as the former pledges to spearhead actions in Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

At a meeting with senior officials of the Argentinian government, ministers of Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines explored new agribusiness and cooperation opportunities in the application of genetics in beef production, dairy farming and beekeeping, among other areas, with a view to expanding trade between Argentina and the Caribbean and Central America.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

August 7, 2025

The coordinated efforts of science and farmers will drive the sustainable transformation of tropical agriculture

The transformation of tropical agriculture toward more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable systems calls for the coordinated efforts of scientific research, farmers, and public policymakers, according to specialists who took part in a forum organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE).

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins