The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has called upon states to offer increased collaboration in advancing key efforts to transform the sustainability of agri-food systems across hemispheres.

At a recent ceremony to install Manuel Otera, who was re-elected to serve for a second-consecutive term as director general of IICA, he urged states to work towards strengthening collaborations and to seek after increased solutions to accelerate developments in the agriculture sector.

“The only way out is to recognise the fact that our agri-food systems play a key strategic role in driving sustainable processes for the generation of employment, progress and social peace,” he said in his acceptance speech ahead of his new four-year term.

Outlining a number of changes implemented during his first term, which included the optimisation of financial resources, assessment and amplification of technical cooperation actions, increased strategic partnerships, and the establishment of a virtual campus to develop the human resources needed to transform agri-food systems, Otera lauded countries for their efforts so far in assisting the specialist agency to build the sector despite setbacks from the pandemic.

Founded in 1942, the IICA provide its member countries with technical assistance in the areas of technology and innovation for agriculture, food safety, agribusiness, agricultural trade, rural development and training.

The director general said that with agriculture being a fundamental industry needed to ensure food security, eradicate poverty and drive development, the work will continue in earnest to bring more tailored solutions to the sector. To this end, he announced the launch of a public policy observatory for the transformation of agrifood systems, which he said is to be coordinated by the IICA in collaboration with a network of universities and other international agencies committed to the issue.

“We are called upon to guarantee our planet’s food, nutritional and environmental security. Only with participation and commitment will we succeed in achieving this global objective,” Otera said.

Saboto Caesar, minister of agriculture in St Vincent and the Grenadines, who also participated in the installation ceremony virtually, congratulated the IICA for its technical assistance and solutions provided to his country and other Caribbean states, hoping for the agency to continue in fulfilling its critical role in advancing agricultural systems in the region.

Acknowledging the role that agriculture will have to play in overcoming the impacts of the pandemic, Guyanese Minister Zulfikar Mustapha further stressed the need for adaptation in states.

“As the pandemic continues, our economies will continue to face challenges and we must therefore adapt. We must consolidate the progress achieved over the past four years and focus on social development projects,” he stated.