Reflections on my assignment at IICA Canada

One of the most rewarding professional experiences that I have had so far was my recent assignment at Inter-American Institute for Cooperation for Agriculture (IICA) in Canada.  75 years after its creation, IICA’s work and contributions are more relevant than ever.  Considering the current challenges faced by the agriculture sector - climate change impacts, increasing demand for food driven by growing populations, the depletion of suitable land for agriculture and the imminent need to make our production systems more productive and inclusive, IICA strives to make contributions to address all of the challenges. 

I definitely gained more of an appreciation of IICA’s role in strengthening agriculture in the Americas.  The secondment allowed me to apply my technical skills and knowledge in food safety to contribute to the overall institute's goals.

There is no doubt that I am returning to my substantive position at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with another sets of skills after working on such a diverse range of technical cooperation projects/initiatives at the national and international level. 

To mention a few, my assignment involved efforts to achieve the following objectives: 

•             Strengthening of sanitary compliance of food commodities to gain access to the Canadian market by Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries,

•             Contributing to capacity building of LAC through contributions from Canadian subject matter experts,

•             Increasing research collaboration between LAC  and Canadian Agricultural professionals through IICA’s Canada research and internship assistance  program, and

•             Enhancing the visibility and image of the Institute and engaging Canadian partners. 

Overall the secondment program provides invaluable win-win opportunities to the professional and to the two organizations (IICA and the CFIA). I was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to IICA’s goals and believe that I’m returning to my position with an expanded network and competencies.  Although I’m situated in another office in Ottawa, I remain part of the “IICA Canada family”!

Please contact:
Mr. Pedro Chacon
Email: pedro.chacon@inspection.gc.ca