San Jose, 8th April 2021 (IICA) – Sustainable agriculture, good practices, bioeconomy, trade, food safety and quality, resilience and the link between agriculture and tourism will be some of the key areas of focus of collaborative efforts between the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP).
Under a recently signed technical cooperation agreement, the organizations will work to develop a more sustainable and resilient agriculture sector in the Caribbean region.
The agreement was signed by Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA, and Jeremy Knops, General Delegate of COLEACP, at a virtual signing ceremony, with both men concurring that the organizations’ networks, methodology and accumulated experience would serve as a powerful catalyst to transform agriculture in these regions.
IICA Director General, Manuel Otero, insisted that, “We must not concentrate solely on a response to the pandemic, but must also focus on building agricultural resilience and sustainability in our countries. IICA stands ready to play a more proactive role and to work tirelessly, ever mindful of our farmers”.
He pointed out that, “The hemisphere needs to build a new future, by interconnecting regions, actors and ideas, and by progressing and implementing concepts such as Caribbean regionalism, agrotourism, the bioeconomy, international trade, youth inclusion and technology transfer”.
Otero and Knops indicated that countries would need to build capacity in order to foster the development and sustainability of the agriculture sector, as well as to identify, share and increase agricultural best practices and innovations at every stage of the value chain.
“We believe in transformation through the capacity development of different actors in the food chain, which will enable them to be catalysts of their own development and to create jobs, in particularly for the very young and rural women. Much remains to be done, particularly for the Caribbean and its trade dynamic”, said the COLEACP General Delegate.
“We will work together to achieve tangible results and we are extremely eager to implement this agreement”, he added.
The IICA-COLEACP partnership will also enhance collaboration among other regional partners and will promote public-private alliances to increase the scope of its activities.
About IICA
IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture in the Inter-American system, with a mission to encourage, promote and support its 34 Member States in their efforts to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being through international technical cooperation of excellence.
