On Eve of IICA Conference, Ministers of Agriculture of The Americas Stress Collective Action Crucial to Tackle Food Insecurity, Climate Crisis
(Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Press Release) Ministers of Agriculture in the Americas have emphasized that collective action is essential to guarantee food security and strengthen the role of agriculture in the development of countries in the region, in a context of climate change and economic crisis.
They expect the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas, which will be held this week in San José, Costa Rica, to be a great opportunity to step up joint actions aimed at boosting sustainability, and to share knowledge and positive experiences.
The conference of ministers from the hemisphere will be taking place at the Headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) from October 3 to 5. Other participants will include other high-level officials from governments and international agencies, world-renowned academics, and representatives of the production and processing sectors.
The presidents of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, are to speak at the opening ceremony.
The opening session will also include messages from Marian Almheiri, the Minister of the Environment of the United Arab Emirates, the country that will be hosting the COP 28 this year; Terry Branstad, the President of the World Food Prize Foundation (WFPF); the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica, Víctor Carvajal; and the host of the meeting, IICA Director General Manuel Otero.
The slogan for the event is “A Hemispheric Partnership for Food Security and Sustainable Development,” and the ministers said it was of crucial importance to promote strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors, and to boost technical cooperation, to build more resilient and productive agriculture.
Fernando Mattos, Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay, and chair of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS), emphasized the importance of collective action by the countries and the solutions that science and technology can provide to tackle the water crisis.
Read more at: Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Source: CARICOM TODAY