“Strategic investments and innovations in the agricultural sector are an integral part of a new paradigm for the Americas that places emphasis on the development approach as a whole,” Ramdin said.

The Director General of IICA, Chelston Brathwaite, began his remarks by thanking the OAS for its support. He then gave an overview of the Institute’s history, its main contributions over the last 65 years and the challenges facing agriculture in the hemisphere.

“In our judgment, the countries are faced with serious problems: eradicating poverty and hunger, ensuring the sustainability of the environment and tackling climate change, combating transboundary diseases such as avian influenza, as well as strengthening our economies so they can compete internationally, and solving the problems associated with the high cost of energy and the availability of water,” Brathwaite said.

He stressed that “developing leaders in the field of agriculture is important for the future of the sector.” Brathwaite invited the members of the Permanent Council to form part of the Institute’s initiative known as the Forum for Leaders, the object of which is to promote a “new agriculture” in the Americas.

The Minister of Agriculture of Guatemala, Bernardo Lopez, who hosted the Week of Agriculture and Rural Life of the Americas 2007 and chaired the meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), outlined the results of the Fourth Ministerial on Agriculture and Rural Life that took place in July of this year and congratulated IICA on its work as the Technical Secretariat of the process.

Minister Lopez stressed the importance of the opportunity the delegates had had to discuss and reach agreement on strategic topics and issues that were critical for the development of agriculture and the rural milieu. “A broader and better understanding of these matters helped us take the new decisions required to update and implement the AGRO 2003-2015 Plan, set forth in the Hemispheric Ministerial Agreement Guatemala 2007 that gives continuity to that Plan.”

In his capacity as the chair of the Institute’s highest governing body, Minister Lopez congratulated IICA on its anniversary and pointed up its ability and capacity to modernize its operations and adapt to change.

In his presentation on the State of and Outlook for Agriculture in the Americas, Christopher Hansen, the Assistant Deputy Director General of IICA and the agency’s Representative in the USA, underscored the importance of the Institute being involved in issues such as climate change, agrobiotechnology and agroenergy, and the institution’s actions at the regional level.

“Reaffirming the importance of agriculture, IICA continues to address four overarching challenges: making agriculture competitive, achieving greater equity, making the transition to the paradigm of sustainability and promoting governance from rural territories,” Hansen said.
 

Left to right: Minister of Agriculture of Guatemala, Bernardo Lopez; Deputy Director General of IICA, James Butler; Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin; and Assistant Deputy Director General and IICA Representative in the United States, Christopher Hansen.

Following this presentation, the ambassadors commended the Institute on its work.

First to speak was the Ambassador of Paraguay, Manuel Caceres, who congratulated IICA on “its decisive contribution to economic and social development in the hemisphere through the improvement of agriculture and the living conditions of rural communities. All these years, the Institute has assisted and supported the countries in their efforts to meet the changing challenges and needs in the agricultural sector.”

The United States delegate said that IICA had played an important role in improving life in the rural areas of the Americas. “The United States wishes to work with IICA and the Member States for a common purpose,” he affirmed.

The Ambassador of Guatemala, Francisco Villagran de Leon also expressed support for IICA. “We stand ready to support the Institute at any time.”

The OAS Permanent Council decided to formally recognize the initiatives undertaken by IICA over the last 65 years to support the efforts of its Member States to promote the modernization of rural communities.

It unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing the importance of IICA’s technical cooperation tailored to the needs of the Member States and the Institute’s contribution to sustainable agricultural development, food security and rural prosperity.

Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean community (CARICOM), the Ambassador of Barbados, Michael King, said IICA should continue to work on issues such as poverty alleviation, food security, agroenergy and biofuels, and the training of young leaders.

At the end of the meeting, the Deputy Director General, James Butler, thanked the countries of the hemisphere for their many expressions of support, while the Director General called for joint efforts among the inter-American agencies to be strengthened: “We wish to continue working in tandem with you, because only then will we be successful.”

At a reception in the beautiful Hall of the Americas, in the main OAS building, the United States Under Secretary of Agriculture, Mark E. Keenum, proposed a toast to IICA and its anniversary.

patricia.leon@iica.int