IICA participates in World Food Day 2016
Georgetown, Guyana. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Delegation in Guyana continues to show its commitment to the development of agriculture in participating in the World Food Day Exercises held on Sunday, October 16, 2016, at the Mahaicony Community Centre Ground on the East Coast of Demerara.
World Food Day is observed on October 16 every year in all countries within the United Nations. The theme for the World Food Day 2016 was “Climate is changing, food and agriculture must too”. The exercise was a two-part activity with a ceremonial opening followed by an agricultural exhibition support by agricultural stakeholders from both the public and private sector. IICA participation featured pictorial exhibits along the same theme showcasing IICA’s activities in agriculture and rural development. The IICA Delegation in Guyana has been focusing its technical assistance on agricultural production systems adaptive to climate change as the institution Flagship theme “commitment is results” justifies the need to find new ways to practice sustainable agricultural production to ensure food security.
In the closing presentation for the opening ceremony, Mr. Wilmot Garnett, IICA Representative in Guyana indicated “we are proud to partner with the FAO to ensure that our beneficiaries achieve the best possible results. It is our common goal to invest in our beneficiaries with an aim to foster innovation, to encourage greater understanding in the need to do certain things differently, and the need to do others better so as to maximize yields. We believe there are three types of innovation with the potential of having a stronger impact on agriculture, making it more productive, competitive and sustainable – these are: 1. Technological, 2. Institutional, and 3. Social innovation. In keeping with the theme of this year’s celebration and the message from the FAO, we must become better at what we do and adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and become more resilient, productive, and sustainable”.
Other stakeholders present at the World Food Day Exercise were the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), the Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB), the Guyana Sugar Corporation, the Hydrometeorological Service, the Fisheries Department, Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary-Agricultural Development Authority and several other agro-processors including the Women’s Agro-processors Development (WADN) Network and organizations related to the agriculture sector.
More information: arnold.demendonca@iica.int