Director General Emeritus of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Dr. Chelston W.D. Brathwaite, a Barbadian, has been selected as a member of the advisory Council of the Global Initiative for Food Systems Leadership (GIFSL). This initiative, coordinated by the University of Minnesota (U.S.A.), represents a consortium of educational institutions working with public and private sector organizations to develop leadership for global food systems.

The three-year appointment will see Dr. Brathwaite contributing to the GIFSL mission via a role which encompasses: communicating the needs of business, government and international entities; assisting in seeking financial support for the organization; and identifying resources and partnerships that aid GIFSL in its vision – robust food systems for global food security.

GIFSL was created to fill gaps not met by other food security organizations and initiatives, with emphasis on the supply of affordable, safe, nutritious food, processed through sustainable methods whilst providing economic benefits for the local economy. This endeavour is made possible through partnerships with various organizations, namely Helsinki University, China Agricultural University, National University of Uruguay, Washington State University, in addition to commitments from Cargill, General Mills, Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Minnesota.

The current foci of GIFSL activities are professional development, leadership effectiveness, scalable capacity-building and educational program enhancement. The professional development focus has resulted in the creation of the Executive Leadership in Food Safety Series. This two year series, facilitated by a partnership with IICA, assists professionals in developing leadership skills that advance effective food safety policy and programs in the Americas; the latter (educational program enhancement) features the Farm to Table Program which helps participants in Europe and South America explore their country’s food system via site visits and discussions on food safety, animal health and public health.

Although GIFSL’s global effort is an ambitious undertaking, Executive Director Professor William Hueston expressed confidence in Brathwaite and in welcoming him to the council, stated: “your breadth of experience and wealth of insights can provide us with critical inputs for our task”.

Dr Brathwaite stated that as a member of the Advisory Council of GIFSL, he will be able to sensitize global leaders in food systems leadership, not just about the global issues, but specifically how this initiative can support the Caribbean and in particular Barbados in developing “robust food systems” with respect to regional food security.

For further information: patricia.leon@iica.int