In Paraguay, Director General of IICA discussed ways to expand cooperation as well as the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine

Asunción, 16 March 2022 (IICA) - The Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, met in Paraguay with President Mario Abdo and the country’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Santiago Bertoni, with whom he reviewed Paraguay’s agricultural agenda and laid the groundwork to expand cooperation in the fields of science, innovation, water management and training for family farmers.
 
During the meeting with Bertoni, he also discussed the consequences of the armed conflict in Eastern Europe, particularly for Latin America and the Caribbean, given the importance of Russia and Ukraine as suppliers of cereals and other agricultural raw materials, as well as fertilizers.
 
“Together with IICA, we are implementing several projects: a mechanization project, one aimed at facilitating marketing, one on medicinal plants, and others related to the many areas of cooperation between the Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture. Considering everything that is happening right now, [we are charting] a new course of action in our policies, with a focus on achieving a more resilient agriculture sector. That is something we will be working on, both locally and regionally”, stated Minister Bertoni at the end of one of the meetings he attended alongside Otero.
 
Joined by the Director General of IICA, he fielded questions from journalists regarding the local and regional consequences of the conflict in Europe, recalling that “fuel is an important input for production; the rising prices of fuel, fertilizers and other inputs are greatly affecting the production costs of all items in the country”.
 
In this regard, he pointed out that “in light of the global political situation, we are also concerned about the supply of inputs. The war in Ukraine could affect the availability of certain inputs, so we are working to prevent the shortage of these inputs and to guarantee their availability at the best possible price. Part of our fertilizers come from that region, and not only that, but this could hinder our access to fertilizers, especially phosphate”.
 
In the same vein, Otero recalled that the conflict in Ukraine could have negative consequences for global food security because of its impact on the operation of markets, on trade and on the prices of products used to prepare food.
 
“The disruption of peace, along with the uncertainty it causes, alters the regular operation of markets and compromises food supply, impacting the prices of food and of key production inputs”, explained the Director General of IICA, who referenced the economic, political and social implications that can exacerbate food insecurity.
 
IICA recently announced that it will open the doors of its professional internship program to female Ukrainian graduates in fields related to agricultural sciences who are refugees.

Following the meetings, Otero thanked “President Abdo for setting aside time to discuss relevant issues related to agriculture, a strategic sector for Paraguay and our continent, and Minister Santiago Bertoni for highlighting the potential of the Paraguayan agriculture sector and the entire Mercosur region; from an institutional standpoint, I am incredibly grateful for his leadership”.
 
The Director General of IICA, an international agency specializing in agricultural and rural development, recalled that “Bertoni is the current President of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS, which brings together the ministers of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay), as well as the Chair of an important governing body of IICA, the Executive Committee. I wished to visit Paraguay for all of these reasons”.

Together with the head of the Ministry of Agriculture of Paraguay, a major producer of soybeans and beef, among other products, “we discussed matters related to science and innovation, public policies, training, and climate change issues, particularly in relation to water management. So, I would say it was an extremely cordial meeting in which we reviewed some of the key points of IICA’s technical cooperation agenda in Paraguay and reiterated IICA’s commitment to continue providing the best possible service, which is crucial for farmers and the institutions of Paraguay’s agriculture sector”, said Otero.
 
The head of IICA was welcomed by President Abdo at the Government Palace, where he was accompanied by agricultural businesswoman and IICA Goodwill Ambassador Maris Llorens, as well as the organization’s representative in the country, Gabriel Rodríguez.
 
“I spoke with the President about how we address matters related to innovation and, above all, climate change, which are major challenges, and highlighted the fact that Paraguay is a country that has everything it needs to develop strong ties between production and the environment. IICA serves as a bridge that fosters trade and supports Paraguay’s exports, which is why we discussed the topic of meat and how to be present in more countries of the Americas”, concluded the Director General.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int