G/AG/GEN/148  
 
23 November 2018  
(18-7391) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: Spanish  
 
  
THE MARRAKESH DECISI ON AND FOOD SECURITY : 
CONTRIBUTION OF THE INTER -AMERICAN INSTI TUTE  
FOR COOPERATION ON A GRICULTURE (IICA)  
SUBMISSION BY THE IICA 
The following submission, dated 21  November 2018 , is being circula ted at the request of the 
Inter-American Institute for Co operation on Agriculture (IICA) . 
 
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The purpose  of this document is to inform m ember countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
about some of the t echnical cooperation activities car ried out by the IICA in 20181 to support 
Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in the area  of food and nutrition security .  
 
The IICA seeks to contribute to food security in its member countries through areas such as 
international trade and regional integration, family farming, food health, safety and quality, the 
bioeconomy, and climate resilience . To this end, it works with its m ember States to develop  policies 
and strategies and strengthen institutional frameworks .  
 
Some  of the activities through which the IICA has contributed to the food security2 of Latin American 
and Caribbean countries are described below. Such activities have been implemented  through 
various technical cooperation instruments and partnerships with national and international bodies in 
IICA m ember countries , and are  based on the four dimensions established by the United Nations 
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): food availabili ty, access to food, food utilization and 
stability .  
 
1  MULTINATIONAL ACTION  BY THE IICA  
1.1.  During the period 2017 -2018, the IICA supported  various countries and regions through 
activities based on the four dimensions of food security : 
1.1  Access to food3 
a. Caribbean  region : Study to improve transport and logistics  in the Caribbean . This 
outcome was achieved within the framework of the Agricultural Policy Programme 
(APP)  led by the IICA and focusing on the Caribbean count ries, which is funded by the 
European Union (EU) . The study's recommendations to the Caribbean Community  
                                                
1 The 2018 period covers July 2017 to June 2018. The relevant activities in all the areas of agriculture 
covered by the IICA in 2017, and details thereof, can be found in the annual report available at : 
http://apps.iica.int/SReunionesOG/Content/Documents/CE2018/en/b06971dc -9819-40a4-a853-
00c524f78efa_wd683_2017_iica_annual_report.pdf . 
2 IICA (Inter -American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Costa Rica), 2009. IICA's Definiti on of 
Food Security. San José, Costa Rica. Viewed  on 29 August 2017. Available at : 
http://legacy.iica.int/esp/programas/seguridadalimentaria/Documents/SeguridadAlimentarias_Quees_Esp.pdf . 
3 Access to food: Access for individuals to adequate resources (entitlements) for acquiring appropriate 
foods for a nutritious diet. Entitlements are defined as the set of all commodity bundles over which a person 
can establish command given the legal, political, economic and social arrangements of the community in which 
they live (including traditional rights such as access to common resources). See  FAO (United Nations  Food and 
Agriculture  Organization, Italy), 2015. An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security. Rome, Italy . 
Viewed  on 29 August 2017. Available  at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al936e/al936e00.pdf . G/AG/GEN/148  
 
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  (CARICOM) and the Eastern Caribbean countries  include the creation of a single window  
between customs and other entities, and the harmonization of proc edures in the region .  
 
b. Modernizing market information systems : The Market Information Organization of 
the Americas (MIOA) , which has 33 m ember countries, has supported the development 
of a new curriculum on agricultural market information and analysis  with universities 
in Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras,  and Trinidad and Tobago, and the compilation of a 
catalogue of 39 products that are of com mercial importance to Central America, such 
as maize, potato, melon, onion and pineapple. Furthermore, an  Agricultural Market 
Information System (AMIS )4 platform  has been developed to manage a clou d-based 
price database . In 2017, the cloud -based MIOA database was developed to manage, 
store and disseminate information on agricultural prices, thus benefiting the AMIS of 
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, B elize, Costa Rica, Dominica, Gre nada, the 
Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,  and Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines . An online course (in English and Spanish) was also made available to AMIS 
technicians and the public in general .  
 
1.2  Food availability5 
a. Cooperation programme s on research and innovation for competitiveness : The 
IICA has supported cooperation projects implemented in countries and subregions through 
various joint regional programmes.  The Cooperative Programme for the Technological 
Development of Agri -food and Agro-industries in the Southern Cone (PROCISUR), the 
Cooperative Programme on Agricultural Research, Development and Innovation for the 
South American Tropics (PROCITROPICOS), and the Cooperative Agricultural Research and 
Technology Programme for the North ern Region (PROCINORTE) focus on researc h, public 
policy, and knowledge sharing and knowledge  management in relation to various topics 
such as marketing models, genetic resources, and animal and plant health, thereby 
contributing primarily to food availabi lity and utilization.  
Under PROCITROPICOS , the national research institutes of member countrie s of the 
South  American tropics have impro ved their capacity to conduct research activities 
relating to agricultural, live stock and forestry development, while member institutions and 
stakeholders in the same region  have improved their knowledge of new strategies for the 
use and exchange of plant germplasm  in the various countries, with a view to the 
sustainable conservation of agrobiodiversity . 
1.3  Stable a ccess to fo od6 
a. Grow more with less: rice-growing systems . Colombia and the Dominican Republic  
approved the methodology of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) , with a view to 
making rice producers less vulnerable to the biophysical and socio -economic effects of 
climatic change (both current and anticipated). The s ystem has been successful in both 
Africa and Asia, and promising efforts are now being made  in Lati n America  and the 
Caribbean to reduce the sensitivity of production systems and improve their capacity to 
adapt . 
b. Regional Cooperative Programme for the Protection and Modernization of Coffee 
Production in Central America, Mexico, Panama and the Dominica n Republic  
(PROMECAFE).  The region's coffee sector has laid the groundwork and established  
                                                
4 The platform, into which price data are fed by ministry  of agriculture officials or statistical  officers in 
various countries, may be accessed  at: http://www.sima -amis.com . 
5 Food availability: The availability of sufficient quantities of food of appropriate quality, supplied 
through domestic production or imports (including foo d aid). See FAO (United Nations  Food and Agriculture 
Organization, Italy), 2015. An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security. Rome, Italy. Viewed  on 
30 August 2018. Available  at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al936e/al936e00.pdf . 
6 Stability: To be food secure, a population, household or individual must have access to adequate food 
at all times. They should not risk losing access to food as a consequence of su dden shocks (e.g. an economic 
or climatic crisis) or cyclical events (e.g. seasonal food insecurity). The concept of stability can therefore refer 
to both the availability and access dimensions of food security. See FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture  
Organization, Italy), 2015. An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security. Rome, Italy. Viewed  on 
30 August 2018. Available  at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al936e/al936e00.pdf . G/AG/GEN/148  
 
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  conditions for the creation  of a Regional Early Warning System (REWS) to help tackle 
climate change . The system will  underpin the formulation of public policies to improve  
adjustment to climate change  and thus build the response capacity of the most vulnera ble 
populations in production zones  exposed to climate -related risks and the adverse effects 
of environmental and climatic events . 
1.4  Food utilization7 
a. Secretariat for the Inter -American Commis sion for  Organic Agriculture  (ICOA ): In 
certain countries of the IICA-led Secretariat , such as Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, 
Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic,  steps have been  taken to build the capacities of 
organic agriculture stakeholders in the areas of information and knowledge management 
in order to support the development of organic production and the marketing of organic 
products . 
2  ACTIONS IN VARIOUS LATIN AMERICAN AND C ARIBBEAN COUNTRIES  
2.1.  Described below are s ome of the main activities carried out by the IICA and its representatives 
in support of its m ember States , in relation to the four dimensions of food security : 
2.1  Food availability  
a. Beliz e: Capaci ty-building activities on micropropagation were organized for the University 
of Belize with a view to improving the production of banana planting material; steps were 
also taken to enhance the Banana Producers' Association 's knowledge  of integrated soil 
fertility management .  
b. Costa Rica: Regional innovation platforms , made up of public and private stakeholders , 
were set up for potatoes , yucca, avocados and tomatoes in order to enhance  awareness 
of innovation processes and knowledge management . 
c. Chile:  Assistance was provided to further the recovery of beekeeping activity affected by 
fires in the region of El Maule, Chile . 
d. Ecuador : Small -scale banana and blackberry producers now have protocols to determine 
the effectiveness of bioformulations (fungi and bacteria) . This enable s them to improve 
their incomes through the development of  sustainable agriculture systems, the reduction 
of plant protection costs, and the addition of value to crops .  
e. Guatemala: Innovative technologies, innovative consortia , and good practices to 
strengthen avocado, potato, tomato and yucca valu e chains throughout the region were 
introduced through training and information -exchange events for small -scale farmers. 
Technology has been made  available to technicians and producers , who have received 
training on the use of good agronomic practices that contribute to improving irrigated rice 
production. Similarly, small -scale cocoa producers now enjoy approved technologies that 
enable them to optimize productivity and improve bean qu ality. 
f. Haiti : Capacity -building activities were organized for goat and swine enterpris es under 
the Re forest project .  
g. Mexico:  Capacity -building activities were organized for Hidalgo -based producers of prickly 
pear cactus (pads and fruit) with a view to boosting the territory's resources and promoting 
coordination between stakeholders through the implementation of the Localized Agri -Food 
System . The Moscafrut Operational Programme was implemented as part of the National 
Fruit Fly Campaign . The agricultural health programmes developed by the National 
Agriculture and Food Health, Safety and Quality Service ( SENASICA ) were enhanced 
                                                
7 Utilization of food through adequate diet, clean water, sanitation and health care to reach a state of 
nutritional well -being where all physiological needs are me t. This brings out the importance  of non -food inputs 
in food security. See FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Italy), 2015. An Introduction to 
the Basic Concepts of Food Security. Rome, Italy. Viewed on 30 August 2018. Available  at: 
http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al936e/al936e00.pdf . G/AG/GEN/148  
 
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  through the provision of technical and financial information concerning verification at 
origin, which ensures that shi pments of animals or products to be imported into the 
country comply with the requirements laid down in Mexican legislation .  
h. Paraguay: In the livestock sector, activities were organized to build the capacities of 
production units belonging to small -scale producers , thereby enabling them to produce in 
a more efficient manner , in accordance  with quantity, quality and safety criteria , for self -
consumption and income generation. Furthermore, by enhancing their technical capacities, 
the National Animal Quali ty and Health Service ( SENACSA ) is able to facilitate the 
successful control and er adication of bovine brucellosis  and ensure that sanitary conditions 
are in compliance with sanitary requirements for exporting livestock products . The 
Brucellosis Programme ensures the timely availability  of inputs for laboratories  and 
activities in the field, and the provision of advice and training . 
i. Dominican Republic : The capacity of the extension system  has been enhanced in terms 
of soil and water management and climat e change. Partners have better  access to 
financing for adjustment purposes .  
j. Saint Kitts and  Nevis : Under the draft Proposal for Post -Hurricane Irma Rehabilitation 
Support, a group of farmers (including 16 greenhouses, 12 acres of vegetable crops and 
four livestock farms) was selected to receive support through agricultural sector 
rehabilitation activities  that foster more resilient agriculture .  
k. Surinam e: Within the framework of the Climate Smart Programme, activities were 
organ ized to imp rove the understanding of water -harvesting and micro -irrigation 
technologies and the use of these technologies by vegetable farmers, particularly in the 
Weg Naar Zee area, with a view to mitigating drought and ensuring year-round  production . 
Agricultural technicians and farming students involved in vegetable crop production also 
improved their knowledge and capacities in respect of the use of protected agricultural 
technology to mitigate the effects of climate change (excessive rainfall, pests an d disease, 
extreme temperatures ).  
2.2  Access to food  
a. Colombia: In Colombia, the organizational capacities, empowerment and living conditions 
of 60 people from marginalized groups  (women, landless  peasants, former combatants 
and young people) were enhanced  through the IICA's "Un leashing Local Energies" 
action -training programme . 
b. Bahamas: Groups of women  entrepreneurs  and young people in the apicultural chain 
were able to improve  their strategic market access capacities, which will enable them to 
increase  their incomes and access more and better food .  
c. Haiti : Under the Agricultural Financing and Insurance System project , agricultural 
entrepreneurs in Haiti are able to improve the way their businesses are managed in order 
to generate more income. In the South department, 100 women from a local organization 
received training on organization al strengthening and animal production . 
2.3  Food stability  
a. Plurinational State of Bolivia : Producers have been provided with technical information 
on managing and control ling pests and have been made aware of the need to participate 
actively in the process of identifying, managing, controlling and evaluating pests. The 
national authorities now have a risk communication strateg y for locusts, and p roducers 
and technicians have improved their capacity to handle sanitary emergencies, particularly 
in respect of locusts . 
b. El Salvador:  Revival of the coffee sector in  El Salvador: Cooperation and communication 
mechanisms have been established  for the co ffee sector , and the groundwork has been 
laid for the introduction of national union of guilds to promote  the revival of the sector . 
Further s teps have also been taken to make  Salvadoran poultry products eligible for G/AG/GEN/148  
 
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  importation into the United States, and the Ministry of Agric ulture and Livestock now has  
proposals for technical inspection and auditing procedures and a draft technical regulation 
on the monitoring of  residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides and heavy metals .  
c. Guatemala:  Modelling activiti es took place with a view to helping  interested parties adapt  
forestry and agro -forestry systems  to global changes through the identification, 
measurement and analysis of data. This will enable the sector to anticipate pests and 
disease and adapt to new cl imate scenarios . 
d. Peru : The risk management plan for extreme climatic events  affecting livestock has 
contributed to the formulation of an agricultural sectoral strategy for strengthening and 
expanding the resilience of small and medium -sized cattle farmers in high Andean regions 
to extreme climatic events . 
e. Dominican Republic : In light of the phytosanitary emergency caused by cocoa 
moniliasis,  and in view of the potential introduction of Moniliophthora roreri  into the 
Dominican Republic, activities  were organized to enhance the response and monitoring 
capacities of the Ministry of Agriculture and the private sector . 
f. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines : Farmers and technicians enhanced their capacity to 
implement climate -smart agricultural practices on farms, such as  good soil  and water 
management practices and the selection of  crops and varieties conducive to  sustainable 
production . This activity was carried out in conjunction with the United Nations 
Development Programme (UNDP)  to promote the adoption of climate -smart agricultural 
practices among small producers .  
2.4  Food utilization  
a. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Under the comprehensive training programme for 
the sustainable production of cow's milk  - Nestlé Leche Zulia y Táchira, livestock  producers 
were provided with information and tools to help them implement good animal husbandry 
practices.  
2.2.  For further details on IICA activities in this area : 
Contact : 
 
Adriana Campos Azofeifa  
Trade Specialist  
Email : adriana.campos@iica.int  
Tel.: (+506) 2216 0170  
 
IICA website : http://www.iica.int  
 
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