G/AG/GEN/210  
 
16 November 2022  
(22-8529) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: Spanish  
 
  
CONTRIBUTION OF THE INTER -AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR  
COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE (IICA)  
THE MARRAKESH DECISION AND FOOD SECURITY  
Submission by the IICA  
The following submission, dated 14 November 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA ). 
 
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1.1.  The IICA is an agency of the Inter -American S ystem, specializing in agriculture, that 
participates as an observer in the Committee on Agriculture and Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures  of the World Trade Organization (WTO) . Its objective in participating as an 
observer in these two regular WTO bodies is to follow up on Members' deliberations and enable 
expeditious and proactive communication with the agricultural authorities of IICA member countries. 
These deliberations and any concerns raised in regular WTO bodies are also taken int o consideration 
in the programming of the Institute's technical cooperation activities.  
1.2.  The purpose of this document is to share information with WTO Member countries regarding  
some of the technical cooperation activities carried out by the IICA in the 202 1-2022 period to 
support Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in the area of food and nutrition security.  
1.3.  The IICA takes a comprehensive approach as regards  activities that contribute to the food 
security of member countries. This means that its ap proach covers different closely related thematic 
areas such as international trade and regional integration; climate action and agri -food 
sustainability; agricultural health  and food safety and quality; innovation and the bioeconomy; 
territorial developmen t and family farming; agri -food digitization; and youth and gender equality.  
1.4.  In the document entitled "International Trade of Agrifood Products from Latin America and the 
Caribbean and the Transformation of Food Systems ", the IICA analyses  the role of international 
trade in food systems, in particular those of Latin America and the Caribbean. It also discusses the 
need to strengthen multilateralism and take greater advantage of the opportunities and synergies 
arising from free trade agreements (FTAs) and regional integration processes.  
1.5.  It should also be noted that the Institute cooperates with its member States in the sharing of 
knowledge and experiences; in the building of technical and institutional capacities; in advising on 
strategic process es and the design of public policies; in the articulation and/or technical secretariat 
of multi -institutional authorities; in the development, facilitation and implementation of tools and 
methodologies; and in the management and administration of projects related to the agricultural 
sector.  
1.6.  In short, the technical cooperation activities contributing to food and nutrition security carried 
out by the IICA in its 34 member countries included the following:  G/AG/GEN/210  
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  - Capacity -building processes were carried out for the  benefit of close to 5,000 people, 
who recognized the potential of the bioeconomy as a development strategy. The 
Institute also participated in international meetings on this topic, aimed in particular at 
promoting public policies and preparing concrete pl ans for various countries and 
production chains, as well as guides and catalogues aimed at strengthening the 
technological, organizational and entrepreneurial capacities of bioenterprises.  
- In the interest of rural well -being in the Americas, priority was given to cooperation to 
ensure a better understanding of the status of family farming and to  improve 
institutional frameworks, support services and stakeholder capacities within this 
production sector. The Institute also contributed to positio ning cooperativism as an 
associative strategy, to fostering the digitization of family farming as a way to boost its 
competitiveness, and to raising awareness of the potential of territorial development to 
boost agricultural and rural well -being. In respon se to the crisis triggered by the 
COVID -19 pandemic, cooperation actions in support of public institutions were carried 
out to improve the performance of family farming and increase well -being in rural areas.  
- The IICA made efforts to improve the particip ation of agri -food products in international 
markets, as a way of reactivating economies in the aftermath of the  COVID -19 
pandemic; to generate political and technical evidence of the value of rules -based trade 
and the importance of intraregional trade; to  organize business roundtables; and to 
strengthen the trade capacities of agricultural SMEs and chains. The IICA continued to 
work extensively in various agri -food chains.  
- The Institute played a very important role in bringing the agriculture of the Amer icas to 
the forefront at major global events concerning climate -related production systems, 
such as the United Nations Food Systems Summit. The capacities and knowledge of 
political leaders and authorities in respect of this issue and the relationship betw een 
climate and agriculture have been strengthened. The IICA’s accreditation by the Green 
Climate Fund (GCF) and other efforts resulted in the accelerated development of 
proposals for consideration by the countries and potential donors in the areas of resi lient 
agriculture, sustainable soil management, water resource management and 
climate -smart food production. Other relevant achievements were the implementation 
of the "Living Soils of the Americas" initiative, which will serve as a bridge between 
science and public management to restore and protect the region’s soil, and the rapid 
response actions coordinated with various member States to support countries affected 
by natural phenomena, with emphasis on the implementation of reconstruction or 
production re habilitation programmes.  
- In the area of agricultural health, more than 5, 000 people received training on  topics 
including the following: the Food Safety Moderni zation Act (FSMA)  of the United States , 
transboundary diseases, African swine fever, Fusarium,  huanglongbing, leaf rust, 
pesticides, trade regulations linked to the dairy sector, food labelling and leadership. 
This was complemented by efforts to modernize  plant health, animal health and food 
safety services. In addition, in response to the health e mergency caused by COVID -19, 
training events on preventive measures for the agricultural sector  were organized . 
- The IICA actively addressed  matters  related to agricultural innovation, which is 
fundamental for a  much -needed  and urgent increase in competit iveness and 
digitization, as well as equity and sustainability. The various regional mechanisms in 
which the Institute participates, such as the cooperat ive program mes for agricultural 
research and technological development (PROCIs), and commissions , forums and 
agricultural technology funds, continued to interact and  serve as ideal means  for 
delivering  technical cooperation.  
- Lastly , in the area of gender and youth, the First Forum of  Female  Ministers and Deputy  
Ministers of Agriculture o f the Americas was established, as were women's platforms 
and networks, which are mechanisms  that will contribute to knowledge -sharing , public 
policymaking  and the implementation of solutions to shine the spotlight on  women's 
leading role in food systems. Additionally , as part of the "IICA of Open Doors" initiative, 
the IICA organized hackathons and other events to foster young people's participation G/AG/GEN/210  
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  as a way to continue to encourage  the younger  generations to become involved in 
so-called " Agriculture 4.0".  
1.7.  Finally, and in follow -up to the Ministerial Declarations  on the e mergency response to food 
insecurity adopted at the Ministerial Conference (MC12) ,1 the IICA expresses its commitment to 
contribute  to the implementation of these Ministerial Declarations , particularly concerning  the work 
programme to be a dopted  in the Committee on Agriculture  to examine how the Decision could be 
more effective and operational pursuant to Article 16 of the Agreement o n Agriculture and to consider  
concerns raised by Members.  
1.8.  The permanent representatives and delegates from Latin America can, and should, play a very 
proactive role in the fulfilment of the Ministerial Declaration, given that this region possesses a 
number  of characteristics that qualify it to become a partner to bring Members' positions closer 
together. In this connection, the region contains a group of developing countries, net food exporters, 
committed to the reform process and concerned about the adopti on of export restrictions by other 
member countries, which create distortions to international trade. At the same time, a group of net 
food-importing countries belong to this region, which are immediately affected by the negative 
impact of the measures ado pted that impede the normal flow of goods, putting their food security 
at risk. This group of countries share the same concerns as their counterparts in other parts of the 
world, particularly the African Group and some Pacific Island nations.  
1.9.  It is clear t hat food security, particularly for LDCs and NFIDCs, has been under threat in recent 
years, first due to the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic and the trade restrictions adopted by a 
number of food -exporting countries, then by the container crisis and finall y by the war in Ukraine. 
In this regard, the consequences of these events had a swift impact on the world's economies, and 
the trend in inflation and the increase in the prices of key cereals, fertilizers and fuels suggest that 
the coming years will be com plex and full of challenges.  
1.10.   The IICA, under its 2022 –2026 Medium -Term Plan (MTP) and in line with the commitments 
undertaken with the member countries, contributes to the multilateral trading system, using its 
toolbox to create the means to bring position s closer together, facilitating dialogue and the creation 
of collaborative networks among agricultural and foreign trade authorities in the member countries 
in the first instance, and incorporating environmental stakeholders in the medium term.  
1.11.   For more information on the IICA's activities in this area, please  contact : 
Adriana Campos Azofeifa  
Trade Specialist  
E-mail: adriana.campos@iica.int  
Tel.: ( +506) 2216 0170  
Visit the Institute’s  website  at: http://www.iica.int  
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1 JOB/AG/236 and WT/L/1139 .