Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai, regional Agriculture Ministers discuss continental alliance for food security and sustainable development

Photo Credit: MAFSE

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Jose Abelardo Mai, Belize’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise, is currently in Costa Rica for a regional meeting of his counterparts from the Americas and the Caribbean. The meeting is organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), a specialized agency of the Organization of American States (OAS).

One of the main agenda items of the meeting was the election of a new president for the Executive Committee of IICA, which is composed of agriculture ministers from the member countries. The new president is Indar Weir, who holds the same portfolio in Barbados. He will serve for a two-year term.

Another key topic of discussion is the role of international cooperation in enhancing collective action and fostering an alliance that will enable agriculture in the Americas to cope with crises and challenges that affect global food security. MAFSE said the participants are also reviewing the progress made toward a continental alliance for food security and sustainable development, considering the region’s significance as a major global food producer and a biodiversity hotspot.

The meeting is attended by Manuel Otero, the Director General of IICA, as well as other stakeholders from various countries and organizations, such as the United States Department of Agriculture, Canada, South American nations, the European Union, and Turkey.

Minister Mai is to return on Saturday, July 22.