Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural Health, Safety and Agrifood Quality

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention on the need to operate within the context of a “One Health” approach and to develop an integrated perspective of the dimensions of agricultural development, agrifood systems and public-private interaction, promoting leadership and a culture of collaboration, through different forms of joint work.

Based on this conceptual approach, the program will seek to:

  • Foster technical and institutional improvements in agricultural health and food safety systems (AHFS), incorporating the “One Health” concept and advocating for the use of digital tools and the development of new or improvement of existing methodologies to more efficiently manage the aforementioned systems.
  • Harmonize, update and implement science-based health, safety and quality standards, promoting the harmonization, updating and implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, within the framework of the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, the Trade Facilitation and the Technical Barriers to Trade agreements, by strengthening technical capacities for decision-making and institutional capacities for the implementation of these agreements.
  • Develop capacities to adopt best practices and to tackle emerging issues, in a bid to strengthen national and regional capacities in prevention, preparation, management and response to emerging issues and sanitary and phytosanitary emergencies, by promoting the use of new technologies and knowledge management and the development of effective prevention and control programs for zoonotic diseases, to reduce their impact on public health.

Thus, the program will focus on promoting agrifood systems, operating in a productive, competitive and sustainable agriculture sector and supplying safe food to local, regional and global markets, through the development, improvement and implementation of policies on agricultural health, safety and agrifood quality.

Within this context, the digitalization of AHFS (sanitary intelligence, use of digital technologies to promote a culture of safety and to prevent pests and diseases, electronic certification), science-based decision-making and the “One Health” concept will be priority areas in the work of the program.

 

Especialistas

Program Manager

 

Technical team

 

Advisory team

  • Carol Thomas, Jamaica
  • Gretchen Stanton, Mexico/United States

Contact us​

José Urdaz, Gerente

Program Manager

jose.urdaz@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

September 19, 2025

Feeding the Future Together: Innovation, Investment, and Global Food Security

Canada

May 21, 2025

Plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy

Santa Fé, Darién, Panamá

September 4, 2025

Coordination between IICA and Panamanian and U.S. government authorities bolsters the fight against New World screwworm in Central America and Mexico

As part of the efforts to curb the spread of the New World screwworm (NWS), a current health threat in Central America and Mexico, the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) of Panama, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG) organized a meeting with livestock farmers in the city of Santa Fé de Darién to strengthen health surveillance and better protect local livestock production.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

August 28, 2025

Bayer and IICA strengthen partnership and explore new lines of work to enhance agricultural sustainability in the Americas

The partnership between the two entities has allowed for training more than 300 farmers in Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay, as well as more than 534 online participants, as part of the training and prevention line of work.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

August 26, 2025

IICA launches hemispheric initiative to combat forest fires in the Americas

At the launch, the Institute donated mechanical tools to Costa Rican firefighters to combat wildfires, which in 2024 affected close to 2.24% of the total land area of the Americas.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins