Countries of the Americas, attending the IICA Executive Committee meeting, agreed to strengthen regional cooperation to anticipate and address the impacts of El Niño on agriculture in the hemisphere
The ministers and specialists agreed that the impact of the phenomenon on the Americas will vary according to country and region; thus, responses must be aligned with the priorities of each country.
San José, 23 July 2026 (IICA) – The countries of the Americas—with the support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)—will work to enhance their capacities to anticipate, prepare for and coordinate regional efforts to address the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon on agricultural production and agrifood systems in the region.
Given that each country will lead and implement its own preparedness and response policies, plans, and mechanisms, IICA will coordinate with each Member State to lend support in accordance with national priorities.
In the IICA Executive Committee meeting, held in San José, agricultural ministers, deputy ministers, and senior authorities shared experiences, outlined national priorities, and identified opportunities for regional cooperation to boost the climate resilience of the agriculture sector.
The authorities approved a resolution that tasked IICA with undertaking a coordinated response in each country, which would include updating and executing action plans; sharing information on successful experiences; improving awareness at the regional level regarding scenarios, risks, demands, and available capacities; and promoting South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange.
The resolution also extended an invitation to other international organizations, as well as to cooperation agencies, financial institutions, the private sector, academia, and other partners to coordinate efforts and to contribute technical and financial capacities.
Curt Delice, Director of Operations and Regional Integration, at IICA, explained that, “The response to El Niño must precede the emergency, transforming information and alerts into decisions, investments, and actions to protect production, income, and livelihoods. Acting on time will reduce losses and costs. To achieve this at the requisite scale, we must combine science, technology, innovation, risks management, social protection, and financing. No one country can do this single-handedly. We need a common roadmap, broader alliances, and sufficient resources to meet the challenge.”
IICA informed the ministers and other authorities participating in the Executive Committee meeting that in recent weeks, the Institute’s delegations in each country in the hemisphere had intensified discussions with agriculture sector stakeholders to determine their priorities, actions that are already being undertaken, and the areas that require support.
Stemming from these discussions, almost 30% of the countries had already identified needs and made concrete requests for technical cooperation associated with El Niño; and it is estimated that during the next six months additional demands could arise in approximately 80% of the countries.
The priorities are concentrated in three areas: risk monitoring and management; production adaptation and recovery; and water resource management and resilience.
The first area of focus is linked to early alerts, information systems, agroclimatic monitoring, impact evaluation, and integrated risk management. The second comprises all issues related to climate-smart and regenerative agriculture, the recovery of livelihoods, sustainable soil management and nature-based solutions. The third area relates to efficient irrigation, water harvesting, watershed management and infrastructure, and water security.
According to Hugo Chavarría, Manager of IICA’s Innovation and Bioeconomy Program, “The information that the countries are sharing with us will allow us to move beyond a general understanding of the risk, enabling us to develop a concrete cooperation agenda. The challenge now is to transform these priorities into proactive actions, by pooling already existing capacities and mobilizing the necessary partnerships and resources to protect agricultural production, income, and rural livelihoods.”
Different risks, urgent cooperation demands
The technical overview presented in the Executive Committee meeting stressed that the impact of El Niño will vary throughout the Americas, producing a differentiated effect on the various regions, rural areas, and production systems. While some places may experience droughts, water shortages, and higher than average temperatures, others may endure intense rainfall, flooding, and landslides.
In western and southwestern United States, northern Mexico, the Central American Dry Corridor, the eastern Caribbean, and parts of the Andean highlands and northeastern Brazil, the scenarios analyzed point to a greater risk of heat, irregular rainfall, and water shortages. These conditions could affect the availability of water for irrigation, livestock farming, rainfed crops, and small-scale farmers in particular.
In other areas of the Andean region and the Southern Cone, above-normal rainfall could occur, creating a greater risk of flooding, landslides, and damage to crops, infrastructure, and production chains.
“The impacts of El Niño will vary by country, territory, production chain, and type of producer. Some places will experience droughts, water shortages, and rising temperatures, while others may face heavy rainfall, floods, or landslides. However, the most severe effects will be felt wherever high vulnerability coincides with low anticipation, response, and recovery capacities, especially among small-scale farmers and in the most vulnerable rural areas,” explained Chavarría.
Coordinated actions in each country
“We agree with IICA’s proposed approach in relation to early warning systems, anticipating events, working together to combine capacities and respond adequately to climate phenomena,” remarked Julio Duarte Van Humbeck, Ambassador of Paraguay to Costa Rica, who shared the progress his country has achieved with respect to agrometeorological information systems, agricultural water balance, the modernization of weather stations, interinstitutional coordination, and risk management.
Fernando Vargas, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica, emphasized the importance of guaranteeing food security, the availability of staple grains, cooperation between countries, financial mechanisms, and crop insurance, which he considered could be strengthened by means of a regional partnership.
“In each of our countries, we are taking the steps we believe are most appropriate to mitigate impacts and ensure the availability of food, in order to guarantee food security. Some of our countries will not be able to plant certain crops during the usual planting seasons due to the effects of El Niño, which would increase losses. Therefore, the issue of staple grains becomes all the more relevant, and that is where cooperation between countries will be key, as it will allow for trading products under clear and accessible rules,” he explained.
Cleber Soares, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, noted, “This issue is of the utmost relevance for everyone. Two months ago, MAPA and the National Institute of Meteorology collaborated with the World Meteorological Organization to develop El Niño forecasts for Latin America and the Caribbean. I would therefore like to make their capacities available to countries that require information not only on potential scenarios associated with this phenomenon but, above all, on climate risks.”
The region is not starting from scratch. The countries, IICA, and their partners already possess projects, experiences, technologies, and capacities that provide a solid foundation for addressing the risks associated with El Niño. As part of these efforts, the Institute conducted an internal process to identify initiatives and projects currently underway in collaboration with the countries, and identified a total of eighty-eight initiatives related to climate resilience, risk management, and agricultural adaptation, of which twenty-five directly contribute to enhancing preparedness, improving productive adaptation, protecting livelihoods, and recovering from the impacts of El Niño.
Building on this foundation, IICA has proposed moving forward with a roadmap that would facilitate the transition from preparedness to action. The first step is to prepare before impacts occur, using scientific evidence, risk analysis, climate information, and early-warning systems to guide timely decision-making. The second step is to strengthen existing capacities and initiatives and better align them with the priorities of countries, rural areas, and production sectors.
The roadmap also calls for identifying and scaling up technologies, methodologies, and solutions that have already yielded positive results, adapting them to the conditions of other countries and territories. Lastly, it proposes forging a broader partnership between governments, technical agencies, financial institutions, research centers, the private sector, and producer organizations, with the aim of pooling capabilities, expanding technical cooperation, and mobilizing the resources needed to address the magnitude of the challenge.
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.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
Countries of the Americas express strong support for IICA’s 2026-2030 work plan, designed to contribute to prosperity, poverty reduction, and the strengthening of food security in the Americas
San José, 22 July 2026 (IICA). The countries of the Americas expressed strong support for the work plan drawn up by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), which will run through 2030 and is designed to strengthen the continent’s agrifood systems so they contribute to economic prosperity, poverty reduction, food security, environmental sustainability and resilience, and decent work.
The plan was presented during the annual meeting of IICA’s Executive Committee, one of the organization’s governing bodies, held in San José, Costa Rica, which brings together ministers of agriculture and other senior agricultural officials from the Americas. Representatives of other international organizations, delegates from observer countries, members of the diplomatic corps in Costa Rica, and special guests also take part.
During the opening session of the meeting, IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim gave an overview of the work carried out in his first six months in office, and formally presented the 2026-2030 Medium-Term Plan (MTP) to the ministers, which was prepared working closely with the countries and includes their needs and requirements.
Following the presentation, the representatives of the Member States were agreed that the organization’s roadmap addresses the main challenges facing the region’s production systems, and pledged to work together to achieve measurable concrete results.
Roberto Linares, Minister of Agricultural Development of Panama, was elected as Chair of the Executive Committee and referred to the importance of IICA’s work for the benefit of agriculture in the Americas: “The fact that food security and sustainable development are currently strategically important issues on global agendas underscores the relevance of international cooperation even more. Therefore, this meeting represents an excellent opportunity to continue along the path of multilateral collaboration for the benefit of our countries’ agricultural and rural sectors.”
Ibrahim emphasized that during the first half of the year, the time it took to discuss and design the MTP, IICA continued to lead dialogues and provide solutions to the complex situations affecting the countries’ agricultural sectors, such as fertilizer shortages and rising input and energy costs.
The four technical cooperation programs that are to be implemented are set out in IICA’s MTP:
• Science, technology, and innovation for production development;
• International trade, regional integration, and agribusiness;
• Agricultural health, biosecurity, and food safety and quality;
• Strategic natural resources for agrifood system productivity and resilience.
“The plan is ambitious at a time of great challenges, and is tailored to the countries’ requirements,” Ibrahim said.
The IICA Director General explained that the work of the four programs will be coordinated to strengthen the hemisphere’s agrifood systems and promote their economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The latter includes the development of incentives to empower women and youth in agriculture, and to mitigate migration from rural areas to cities.
“We are going to work together to make agriculture an engine of development and thus attract the new generation of farmers we need in the Americas,” he explained.
In this regard, he stressed that one of the MTP’s distinctive elements was that it called for the provision of technical cooperation adapted to the heterogeneous nature of the production systems of IICA member countries, in terms of both scale and production models and the use of science and technology.
Focus on science and technology
Michelle Bekkering, Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), said that her country appreciated IICA’s work plan, particularly with regard to its focus on the incorporation of science, technology, and innovation, and its emphasis on building smoother international trade in food, and on biosecurity issues. “This ambitious plan is going to be very successful,” she suggested.
Cleber Soares, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, the country that currently holds the chair of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), IICA’s highest governing body, said that in recent months he had visited several countries in the continent to discuss the guidelines of the MTP. “The countries shared their concerns and expressed their full support. This IICA roadmap includes modern, necessary issues, such as the incentive to work for the production of fertilizers, since today we depend to a large extent on imports and the world has put us in a very severe crisis,” he observed.
Anthony Smith, Minister of Agriculture, Land, Fisheries, and Blue Economy of Antigua and Barbuda, pointed out that: “As a small, developing island state, we have vulnerabilities and we particularly appreciate IICA’s work in support of resilience and food security. The plan is aligned perfectly with our needs.”
“We support the IICA Director General’s vision, which is consistent with our own vision of agriculture, with emphasis on productivity and food health, quality, and safety. We also agree on the need to adapt cooperation to the new production models and new consumption trends,” commented Raquel Solís, Ecuador’s Deputy Minister of Agricultural Productive Development.
On behalf of the Government of Honduras, the Undersecretary of Agriculture, José Francisco Ordóñez, also endorsed IICA’s MTP: “It contains the issues that we consider to be the main ones, and we are pleased to see that the issues of family farming are included. In Honduras, we feel the need to teach our small producers to adapt to climatic difficulties, for example, by harvesting and managing water.”
Agustín Tejeda, Undersecretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina, affirmed that his country’s priorities were aligned with IICA’s MTP and gave it his full support. “IICA,” he emphasized, “is key to defending conditions of transparent market access for our agricultural products in international forums. We value IICA’s work based on scientific evidence and technical excellence, which is necessary to deepen hemispheric cooperation and consolidate agriculture in the Americas as an engine of growth, inclusion, and development.”
Tejeda underscored the Institute’s role as a bridge between nations and regions within and beyond the hemisphere: “IICA also has a very important role to play in representing the continent’s voice in the world and in relations with other regions. The experience of the Africa-Americas Ministerial Summit focused on productivity and agrifood systems, organized in San José in 2022, was very positive, and a closer relationship should be developed.”
On that point, the Argentine delegate proposed to the Executive Committee that a second summit be held in October 2026 in Buenos Aires.
On behalf of the Government of Mexico, Víctor Manuel Vanegas Tapia, Head of his country’s Office of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, recognized “IICA’s efforts to formulate a comprehensive and robust plan aimed at addressing the main challenges. Only cooperation enables us to develop common solutions to our problems.”
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.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
IICA – JOB OPPORTUNITY
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Delegation in Barbados, is inviting applications for a Project Officer under the European Union’s (EU) Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Support Programme: Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Action.
The Project Officer will assist with the overall implementation of the SPS Measures Action including, but not limited to procurement, logistical coordination, planning, reporting as well as monitoring and evaluating interventions in order to ensure the attainment of project targets.
More details are available in the public announcement.
Application deadline: May 11, 2026
A Sweet Potato Collaboration by Carol-Faye Bynoe-George
Monday 23rd March was the second phase of the “Sweet Potato Regeneration Project”, for five weeks prior today technicians within the Ministry of Agriculture have been engaged in virtual/online training and now today under the tutelage of Dr. Ronald F. Robles Martinez/Research Assistant (Facilitator) these participants are engaged in practical and field exercise.
This training will include the Identification, morphological characterization and cataloguing of the sweet potato here and other countries such as St. Lucia and Jamaica in the region. Some of the expected outcomes from this exercise will include:
- Identification of many varieties of sweet potato
- Familiarization of the morphological characterization
- Cataloguing of the varieties
- Cleaner planting material
- The ability to cultivate also from tuber and not only from slips/vines
- Introduction of nineteen more varieties
- Best practices, more favourable conditions and conducive periods for production
- Which variety more suited for post-harvest commodities (Agro-processing)
All these accomplishments are benefits that will enable better and larger yields while ensuring viral free cultivation and production. Antigua and Barbuda is home to over seventy-
three varieties and the is the intention to introduce nineteen more varieties.
Participants were selected from Analytical Services, Crop Research, Extension Division, Plant Protection Unit within the Ministry of Agriculture along with Mr. Bradbury Browne (local consultant) and Mr. Ridge Taylor representing Barbuda. This project is an ongoing collaboration of CARDI, IICA and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Antigua and Barbuda Launches Clean Seed Sweet Potato Initiative
The inaugural meeting of the Clean Seed Sweet Potato Committee was held this week in Antigua and Barbuda, marking a significant step forward for the country’s root crop sector under the regional Next Generation Sweet Potato Project.
The committee unites technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture, the private sector, and the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) to establish a clean seed system, providing farmers with access to disease-free planting material. This initiative will boost productivity, enhance food security, and strengthen resilience to climate-related challenges.
During the meeting, members outlined project goals, clarified responsibilities, and discussed strategies to scale up clean seed production locally. Antigua and Barbuda has already collected six sweet potato varieties – Black Rock, Hurricane, King Crown, Mandela, Catch Me, and Big Red – which will be sent to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for tissue culture to ensure disease-free planting material.
The committee will meet regularly to monitor progress, coordinate training, and share knowledge, ensuring the project’s benefits reach farmers and communities nationwide.
Implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the European Union, the Next Generation Sweet Potato Project is a four-year initiative across Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and St. Lucia, aimed at modernizing root crop agriculture and supporting sustainable food systems in the Caribbean.
National Agricultural Technicians to participate in Regional Virtual Sweet Potato Training Programme
Fourteen Agriculture Technicians from Antigua and Barbuda are set to participate in a regional virtual training programme focused on sweet potato identification, morphological characterization and cataloguing.
The local cohort will join 46 other participants from across the Caribbean under the Next Generation Sweet Potato Project, a regional initiative aimed at strengthening technical capacity in crop research and genetic resource management.
The training will be facilitated by Dr. Ronald Robles of the International Potato Center (CIP). It comprises 10 hours of theoretical instruction delivered through five interactive virtual sessions, each approximately two hours long. Sessions are scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday from February 24 to March 3, 2026.
The course curriculum is structured to build both conceptual understanding and applied competencies. Session One will provide an overview of sweet potato genetic diversity. Session Two and Three will focus on the characterization of foliage and root traits respectively. Session Four will cover data analysis methods, while Session Five will introduce molecular tools for genotyping.
Following the virtual component, participants in Antigua and Barbuda will engage in a structured in-field practical session on March 23, 2026 at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) field station. The hands-on exercise is designed to consolidate the theoretical concepts and technical techniques covered during the online sessions.
The initiative seeks to enhance regional expertise in sweet potato research and development, with particular emphasis on improved cataloguing and utilization of genetic resources. Strengthening these capacities is considered critical for advancing food security and agricultural innovation across the Caribbean.
The Next Generation Sweet Potato Project is being implemented and coordinated by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Funding is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the European Union.
The four-year project is being implemented in collaboration with Ministries of Agriculture and CARDI in Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and St. Lucia, reinforcing a coordinated regional approach to crop improvement and sustainable agricultural development.
Inclusive Agriculture Takes Root at Victory Centre twinned with Cedar Grove Primary School by Brent Simon
A new school-based agriculture initiative is demonstrating how inclusive education and climate-smart farming can work hand in hand to strengthen food security in Antigua and Barbuda.
The project, funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program, led by the Victory Centre in partnership with Cedar Grove Primary School, brings together preteens—both neurotypical students and students with disabilities—to learn practical agricultural skills through hands-on experience. By transforming school gardens into living classrooms, the initiative shows that agriculture is accessible to all and that every student has the capacity to contribute meaningfully.
With technical leadership from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and on-the-ground support from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Extension Division, the project this morning continued the installation of drip irrigation systems. These systems are designed to reduce water use while improving crop productivity, exposing students to modern, sustainable farming practices from an early age.
According to Mr. Craig Thomas/IICA National Specialist, the partnership is intentionally built around inclusion. “This project is twinned with a differently abled school to show that, notwithstanding disabilities, students can still make a meaningful contribution to agriculture. Schools are the foundation, and what is being done here at Cedar Grove is also being replicated at the Victory Centre so all students can participate and benefit,” he said.
The hands-on nature of the project is already proving to be impacting on the students, particularly those with special needs. Mr. Bradbury Brown/ Irrigation Specialist noted that agriculture provides a natural pathway for engagement and confidence-building. “Agriculture is easily transferable for these students. They use their hands, they see things growing, they develop a passion for it, and it shows that they can contribute to society and even build a livelihood in the future,” he explained.
By engaging students at the preteen level, the initiative encourages curiosity, responsibility, and pride while challenging long-standing stigmas surrounding disability. The project also delivers a broader message to the community: “Inclusive development strengthens society as a whole”.
Through collaboration between schools, IICA, and the Ministry of Agriculture, the initiative sets a practical, replicable model for inclusive, climate-smart agricultural education across Antigua and Barbuda.
Planting the Seeds of Success by Brent Simon
The Victory Centre, working alongside Cedar Grove Primary School, is bringing agriculture to life for preteens through a hands-on, inclusive approach to food security and sustainability. The project allows students—both those with special needs and their “neurotypical” peers—to learn together in a shared garden space, where curiosity, teamwork, and confidence grow right along with the crops.
Rather than treating agriculture as a textbook subject, students are introduced to simple, climate-smart technologies such as hydroponics and efficient irrigation systems, helping them understand how food can be grown using less water and healthier soil. With guidance from teachers, agricultural specialists, and mentors, students are encouraged to ask questions, get their hands dirty, and take pride in seeing their efforts turn into real results.
Technical support for the project is being provided by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), with additional assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Extension Division. Their involvement ensures that students receive age-appropriate, practical guidance while schools benefit from professional agricultural support.
Beyond the school gates, the initiative also engages surrounding communities, reinforcing the message that Food Security starts early and that agriculture can be accessible, inclusive, and rewarding for everyone.
land preparation at Cedar Grove Primary School
