The Government of Jamaica will host the Fifth Ministerial Meeting “Agriculture and Rural Life in the Americas” in the context of the Summit of the Americas Process, as well as the Fifteenth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA).

These important meetings, are part of the Week of Agriculture and Rural Life in the Americas, the most important agricultural event held in the hemisphere, which will be held from October 27 through 30, in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Undert the motto “Building Capacity for Enhancing Food Security and Rural Life in the Americas,” the Fifth Ministerial Meeting will focus on the challenges facing the countries in agriculture and rural life, food security and sustainable development, and will also work towards adoption of a Hemispheric Ministerial Agreement – Jamaica 2009.

Given the serious challenges facing our hemisphere and the world in relation to investment and finance, food security, energy and climate change, the Ministers and Secretaries of Agriculture have a golden opportunity to dialogue about these issues as well as to obtain first-hand information. Together, we will face our common challenges and we will join our forces to design and implement complementary strategic actions that benefit our population.

The Inter-American Board of Agriculture will hold its Fifteenth Regular Meeting immediately following the Ministerial Meeting. The IABA is the maximum governing body of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) which, on this occasion, will elect the Director General for the period 2010-2014.

It will also review technical and administrative topics that are important for the management of the Institute and will establish strategic guidelines that are required to ensure IICA’s contribution to the efforts of Member States to improve the state of agriculture, food security and the rural milieu.

We are pleased to be part of an effort that will guide us to write a new chapter in the agriculture and rural life of the Americas. Hope for you!

Chelston W. D. Brathwaite
Director General
IICA