IICA CANADA October — December 2015
Volume 6, Issue 4
“The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is a specialized agency of the Inter-American System, and it’s purpose is to promote agricultural development and rural well-being in this hemisphere”
Representative’s Corner feedback was gained at each stage. Encouragement sweetens labour is right. The team found time to meet with several new stakeholders to share the role of IICA in the hemisphere and to explore potential collaboration. Visiting Guelph always seems to have a reinvigorating effect. This was no different when the members of the team spent 2 days connecting with academia, Provincial Government and private sector there. All were positive discussions and we left with so many ideas to pursue!
Dr. Audia Barnett IICA Representative in Canada Year end is in sight! Boy did the year ever fly!! The IICA Canada team was found juggling a variety of activities in Ottawa as well as outside, during this the last quarter of the operational year for IICA. Project work dominated the quarter. We were involved in project preparation, project execution and project reporting for different projects. It was all good though, as positive
Speaking of ideas – the technical team also participated in several conferences where stimulating sessions were held on topics ranging from food security to Canada’s food policy. Each proffered worthy concepts for taking in consideration as we implement our Country Strategy.
as Joaquin Arias of CAESPA, resulted in productive meetings with a variety of Government departments. Meetings during the period were not all fun though. The arduous task of coordinating the slew of PROCINORTE events and meetings appeared impossible. Happily, due to the committed, dedicated team members – we did it …and the results were rewarding, making the efforts worthwhile. As the important Inter-American Board of Agriculture meeting was taking place in Mexico, Canada had a changing of the guard in Government. In preparing for a New Year, IICA Canada eagerly anticipates engaging new partners in the various arms of the new administration, even as we continue to cement relationships in our solid network in the country.
The visits from our IICA colleagues also ensured that we kept our connections with On behalf of our “Fantastic Five” team at IICA Government attuned to the pivotal role of Canada – Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Prosperous 2016! IICA in the hemisphere. Appointments with Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General as well Dr. Audia Barnett
SPECIAL FEATURES INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Guest contributor: Dr. Hugo Melgar-Quiñonez, McGill University
New Connections in the Quarter
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Page 10
PROCINORTE’s Board Meeting and Events
Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2015
Pages 9 — 11
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IICA Canada
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8th McGill Conference on Global Food Security: Current and Future Challenges for Sustainable Food Security The 8th McGill Conference on Global Food Security was held in Montreal in October 27 - 28, 2015 and IICA Canada was pleased to both co-sponsor and participate in this annual event.
Dr. Audia Barnett, representative of IICA Canada had the privilege of summarizing key take away messages of the conference. Commending the GFS which was grown from strength to strength, she also urged participants to move to action for the most vulnerable with novel approaches for The Conference opened on the evening of October 27th addressing food insecurity in both developing and with a Public Lecture given by Kanayo F. Nwanze developed countries. President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Dr. Nwanze who has a strong record and extensive experience across three continents, focusing on poverty reduction through agriculture, rural development and research, delivered an inspiring opening lecture. While pointing out the improvements in the levels of poverty and malnutrition, he made it clear that those efforts must continue and as long as we have one child living in poverty and being undernourished. Countries were challenged to demonstrate more “ACTIONS” towards this end. The ensuing sessions highlighted topical subjects such as the role of women in reducing food insecurity. Also discussed were the importance of innovation in agriculture and how adapting to new and emerging risks required access to innovation, knowledge and technology.
From left to right: Mr. Pedro Chacon, Technical Cooperation Specialist; Dr. Audia Barnett, IICA Representative in Canada; Dr. Hugo MelgarQuiñonez, Director, McGill Institute for Global Food Security
For presentations and posters for the conference see: https://www.mcgill.ca/globalfoodsecurity/conference/gfs2015/ presentations-and-posters
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IICA Canada
A Report Card for Canada on Food The Canadian Food and Drink Summit 2015 held in Toronto in October, was an event which brought together stakeholders from the entire Canadian food system. The summit provides an opportunity to explore the futures of food and beverage sectors, examining how to improve the sectors’ economic potential as well as address health, food safety, food security and environmental sustainability.
Ms. Trudy Werry, Technical and Performance Coordinator, represented IICA Canada at the summit. The theme of the summit was “measuring performance, taking stock, and inspiring action”. Given that results based management is a priority of IICA, the Summit’s presentation on Canada’s Report Card on Food Performance was of particular interest to Ms. Trudy Werry, Technical and Performance Coordinator at IICA Canada who attended. The Conference Board of Canada launched the 1st annual report on the results of Canada’s food performance covering health, industry prosperity, household food security, food safety and sustainability. The report card may be found at this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/cfic/research/food-reportcard.aspx Other presentations of note to IICA included topics such as the global food security challenge, solutions to eliminate food waste, sustainability efforts in the food industry, addressing shortages of skills and labour in the supply chain, food defence and emergency preparedness, and culinary tourism. Presentations and discussions covered mostly the Canadian context although global issues were raised in many sessions. Overall, the event provided good insight into the sectors and allowed excellent opportunities to connect with new contacts for IICA and to explore areas of mutual interest.
IICA Canada
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Food Insecurity, a problem that affects all countries in the Americas In spite of the advances achieved in the fight against food insecurity and hunger during the last two decades in the Americas, millions of individuals continue to be affected by such phenomenon. Across the continent, governmental institutions, international agencies, and academic centers have been By Dr. Hugo Melgar- evaluating the evolution of Quiñonez, Director, McGill this problem, especially Institute for Global Food after the World Food Security Summit of 1996 and the Millennium Conference in the year 2000. At those events, heads of states from all over the world agreed to work towards decreasing the number and the percentage of undernourished people in the world by the end of the year 2015, when compared to estimates from 1990-1992. More specifically, the Millennium Development Goal #1 focused on the fight against extreme poverty and hunger, and the efforts of the countries in achieving such goal are to be evaluated by the end of this year. Based on the annual report by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) “The State of Food Insecurity in the World” of 2015 (which doesn’t include estimates from the U.S. and Canada), one can appreciate that our region as a whole was able to reach the goal of reducing by half the number of undernourished people. Nevertheless, at this point it is important to explain that FAO’s indicator is based on the availability of calories to meet the population’s requirements on energy only, and doesn’t say anything about the nutritional content of the available food, especially in terms of vitamins and minerals (essential for a healthy life). Additionally, the regional picture masks big differences across the continent, where not all countries were able to achieve the goal mentioned above. It is therefore important to incorporate in the analysis other kinds of indicators in order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. Stunting and iron deficiency anemia, for example, continue to affect millions of children across the continent, and large population groups are not able to access and consume a balance and nutritious diet. More recently, and thanks to the rigorous and extensive
research at various research centers, especially at the Universities of Antioquia (Colombia), Campinas (Brazil), Cornell, Ohio State, Connecticut (U.S.), and McGill (Canada), along with many others, a new kind of indicator has been developed and tested. In 2007, built upon the experience gathered through studies in several countries (e.g., Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, U.S., Venezuela) a new scale was launched: Escala Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Seguridad Alimentaria –ELCSA- (Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale). This tool, which measures the experience of households at various severity levels of food insecurity joined the U.S.-Household Food Security Measurement Module by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (also used in Canada). Such instruments are nowadays official indicators of household food insecurity in several countries in the region and contribute crucial information that couldn’t be gathered in another way. We are now able to identify millions of households in Canada and in the U.S. suffering from food insecurity; 12.5% and 14% of all households, respectively (according to the most recent reports). ELCSA is also been used in countries like Mexico and El Salvador as one of the indicators for the national multidimensional poverty assessments. Finally, FAO has launched a project called “Voices of the Hungry”, which has been applying in 150 countries (since 2014) a food insecurity experience scale (FIES) developed upon the scales mentioned above. Thanks to a partnership established years ago, the McGill Institute for Global Food Security has access to the datasets generated by FAO, which allows several graduate students to conduct their research projects incorporating a global perspective. Soon, FAO will release a report on the “Voices of the Hungry”, which will allow a better understanding on a strategic issue affecting all the countries in the Americas. The fight against hunger in our continent needs to be continued and reinforced using indicators that provide an integrated perspective. This should support and complement a wide range of policies, programs and interventions.
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IICA Canada
IICA’s DDG positions IICA within Territorial Agri-Food Systems objectives to discuss the concept in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean and to explore cooperation on TAS between Europe and the Americas. Participants were provided with information on three parallel projects conducted in Costa Rica, France and Quebec, which are part of the ‟100 local initiatives for Responsible and Sustainable Eating ˮ. These underscored the diversity and value of innovative actions by citizens in food production, processing and consumption.
Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General of IICA, had the pleasure of participating in the inaugural International Symposium of Territorial Agri-Food Systems (TAS) hosted by the Université Laval, in Québec City, October 1-2, 2015. Globally, the concept of TAS is an interesting one which demonstrates more respect for cultural and biological diversity while meeting theme tenets of food security. Operating in harmony with the globalized consumption system, the TAS have legal, economic and social implications. As the TAS is not well known in the Americas, the symposium had among its
Mr. Day was among several distinguished speakers from Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, France, U.S. and Canada as well as from other international organizations such as FAO and UNESCO. As the Chair of the Round Table on National and International Issues, he took the opportunity to speak on the work of IICA, highlighting specific interventions in the Lancandon jungle in Chiapas with an organic-fair trade coffee value added project; the work with the Garifuna people in Central America; the Trifinio project in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, the denomination of origin for Turrialba Cheese and the Ruta de Queso in Turrialba as well as some cooperative development projects in northeast Brazil. He also shared related themes of the institute’s new Medium Term Plan, and their planned contribution to Agriculture in the hemisphere. The symposium’s participants were diverse, representing academia, public and private sector and provided the platform for rich engagement. At the conclusion of the meeting, the three countries agreed to work towards the development of ‟agri-food systems with high social, environmental, biological and cultural valueˮ at the international level.
Source: www.iica.int/canada
IICA Canada
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Good Poultry Practices: How to Foster Their Implementation On October 1st, 2015, representatives of IICA Canada and the Bureau of Microbial Hazard, Health Canada attended the technical forum on “Good Poultry Practices: How to Foster their Implementation”. This event was organized by IICA’s Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) Program and the Flagship Project entitled “Competitive and sustainable of Agricultural chains for Food Security and Economic Development. The main objective of the forum was to inform IICA’s member countries of the successful experiences of Chile, Colombia and Ecuador to foster the implementation of Good Poultry Practices in their production systems. Presenters explained how Good Poultry Practices were critical in order to guarantee animal health on farms in the face of new emerging challenges such as diseases due to antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics. The importance of adopting proper controls and practices at the farm level are key to achieving a safe product. Speakers explained how diseases and infections have always been a major concern to the poultry industry, especially in the hatchery. Luckily, bacterial contamination can be prevented and controlled using proper management practices and modern health products.
should be designed to avoid heat and cold stress. The importance of protecting confined birds from draughts in cold conditions, was also highlighted by the speakers. The requirements for housing poultry differ according to the way poultry is raised. For example, the role of the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and equipment for meeting the essential biological needs and the maintenance of good health of the birds was described. At the end of the session, Denise Oudit, Scientific Evaluator at BMH, Health Canada expressed appreciation, explaining that the forum allowed her to understand different initiatives being taken in the poultry sector in Latin America. This insight could benefit the current work being done in Canada to improve its own poultry production. From left to right: Pedro Chacon, IICA Canada; Marie -Claude Lavoie & Denise Oudit, Scientific Evaluators, Health Canada.
Participants were reminded that farmers must keep circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative air humidity and gas concentrations within limits that are not harmful to the animals. Additionally, insulation and ventilation
Study of Agricultural Policies Joaquin Arias (third left) and Dr. Audia Barnett in dialogue with Colette Kaminsky (first right) Executive Director Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate, and her team during one of several sessions conducted on December 10-11, 2015 to capture best practices for the monitoring and evaluation of Agricultural policy in Canada. On hand were Daryl Nearing, Deputy Director, Multilateral Relations Division (first left) and Vanessa Blair, Multilateral Affairs Officer (hidden).
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IICA Canada
Canada as the Most Trusted Food System: CAFF15 IICA Canada was pleased to participate in a forum which addressed the question “Should Canada aim to become the most trusted food system in the world?” The Forum on Canada's Agri-Food Future, CAFF15, was held on November 3-4, 2015, in Ottawa. David McInnes, President & CEO, Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) (conference organizer) set the stage for the 1.5 day event. Conference delegates heard about how the agri-food sector does more than just contribute to our economy. The system connects urban and rural Canada through food. It creates jobs, feeds the populous, is an export engine, drives innovation, and attracts investment. Canada’s food supply is already considered safe, nutritious and sustainable, but will that reputation be sustained into the future or is it possible to leverage other opportunities from our current reputation, was the recurring theme throughout.
See more at: http://www.capi-icpa.ca/news/2015/ caff15_150624.html#sthash.w5JVGmq6.dpuf
Conference presenters challenged the delegates to consider emerging trends and issues and to question whether the sector should raise the bar on food safety, nutrition and sustainable practices. Industry leaders, government officials and academics covered topics related to globalization, business opportunities and challenges, sustainability, consumer trust and trends, and future outlooks. Discussions were held on Canada’s comparative future advantages (food with fewer chemical residues, soil and water resources, sound governance practices). Several conference participants and presenters stressed the importance of collaboration. Given that the agri-food system is complex and inter-twinned, the importance of aligning all players to achieve the desired future was emphasized. Without a doubt, the conference provided a good opportunity for the sector to achieve more harmony and move forward together towards their strategic goals.
IICA Canada
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New Connections in this Quarter
Meeting with Ambassador of Guatemala, H.E. Rita Claverie de Sciolli; Ms. Kathia Ayala and Ms. Marysabel Gonzalez, TFO to explore collaboration
Meeting with new Ambassador of Panama, H.E. Alberto Arosemena
During the quarter, IICA Canada made new connections and explored collaborations.
Connecting with CEO of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Dr. Tyler Whale
Meeting with Ms. Mary Beshai and Mr. Jim Delaney of WUSC — World University Service of Canada; and Ms. Nancy Lafrance of CECI — Centre for International Studies and Cooperation.
Meeting with Ambassador of Venezuela, H.E. Wilmer Barrientos
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IICA Canada
PROCINORTE Board of Directors Meeting, Washington D.C. The first PROCINORTE Board of Directors (BoD) Meeting, since the Secretariat was moved to IICA Canada, took place in Washington D.C. November 23- 24, days before one of the most anticipated holidays in the U.S. – Thanksgiving. The U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) was the gracious host of the XVII BoD Meeting which was chaired by the PROCINORTE President, Dr. Gilles Saindon (Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). Lasting a day and a half, the meeting provided the first opportunity for the Board to meet since the adoption of PROCINORTE’s new Strategic Plan (2015 – 2020). The agenda was varied and included progress reports from each of the four Task Forces as well as insights from external professionals on topics relevant to the technical agenda of global agriculture such as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in foods, financial mechanisms for agricultural research, and Agricultural Outlook for Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean. The presentations served to enrich the discussions on utilizing PROCINORTE as a platform for supporting trilateral agricultural trade through research. The plans for 2016 includes an active schedule of workshops and meetings as well as the implementation of a Communication Plan for PROCINORTE. Forging closer ties with other PROCIs and with IICA’s technical teams was agreed as being smart steps in going forward.
From left to right: Dr. Salvador Fernandez, IICA; Dr. Francisco Moreno, INIFAP; Dr. Luis Fernando Flores, INIFAP; Dr. Brad Fraleigh, AAFC; Dr. Gilles Saindon, President PROCINORTE, AAFC; Dr. Audia Barnett, Executive Secretary PROCINORTE; Dr. Priscila Henriquez, IICA; Dr. Stephen Kappes, USDA-ARS.
PROCINORTE is the Cooperative Program in Agricultural Research and Technology for the Northern Region comprised of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Science and Technology Branch (AAFC-STB), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) in Mexico, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
IICA Canada
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PROCINORTE Activities PROCINORTE, now being coordinated by the Secretariat in Canada, accomplished several activities within this Quarter including Task Force activities as well as a Board of Directors Meeting held in Washington, D.C.
More than 75 participants attended the Insect Molecular Taxonomy Tri-Lateral Workshop, held in Mexico City on October 2124, 2015. The event involved the participation of scientists from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Dr. Audia Barnett, opened the session via videoconference.
During October 25—30, 2015, this Task Force met in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico to conduct their Annual Meeting and a field trip to avocado orchards as par t of their project: “Exploring spectral analysis for assessing avocado maturity”. 1. Avocado tree with fruit at different stages of maturity . 2. Taskforce members correlating Vis-NIR with avocado maturity on recently harvested avocado.
3. Reflectance spectrometer developed by Task Force members to determine avocado dry matter. 4. Determining avocado dry matter in packing house.
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IICA Canada
PROCINORTE Activities
Task Force members and representatives of NORGEN Genetic Resources participated in the X Symposium for Genetic Resources for Latin America and the Caribbean (SIRGEALC) in Brazil during October 2629, 2015. PROCINORTE took part in a lecture at this important event.
25 scientists from the U.S., Canada and Mexico shared the latest insights during the “Workshop on Rapid Efficient Response to High Consequence Animal Diseases� held in Mexico City during December 2-3, 2015. Dr. Robert Ahern, Specialist, Agricultural Health and Food Safety, IICA also participated.
IICA Canada
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Enhancing Trading Opportunities for Colombian Producers In a continued effort to support trade opportunities for small sized producers of panela and tilapia, IICA Canada facilitated a mission to Colombia over the period October 19 – 23, 2015. Previous to this mission, IICA Canada implemented a project to support capacity building of Peruvian and Colombian small enterprises in the years 2012-14 under the Canada-Americas Trade Related Technical Assistance (CATRTA) program. The project helped producers understand and comply with Canadian import requirements (sanitary and phytosanitary requirements), thereby enhancing their export opportunities to Canada. The project involved assessments, direct training on Canadian requirements, and a mission to Canada to clarify compliance requirements. The recent mission was undertaken to move a step forward in establishing trade links with Canada.
of a processing plant for Tilapia, needed to satisfy product specification requirements for the Canadian market. Canadian buyers of panela committed to placing the first order of panela from both localities visited. The Mission was the final field activity of the project and considered a success by all participants. Links between the small sized producers in Colombia and Canadian importers were established and indications are positive for future trade activities. This is a project of the Conference Board of Canada sponsored by Global Affairs Canada.
Two Canadian buyers of panela and tilapia met with Colombian producers and the producer cooperatives, Central de mieles (sector panela), ASOPROPANOC (sector panela) and APISGAR (sector tilapia), ASOPEZ (tilapia) to explore potential trade opportunities. The itinerary included tours of producers’ panela fields, tilapia farms and visits to the processing and storage facilities of Employees of the the cooperatives and meetings with public officials. The exchanges and dialogue between all parties were appreciated by both the producers of panela and tilapia and Canadian buyers who provided invaluable feedback to the small producers on Canadian market requirements. Emphasizing Canadian product labeling requirements (i.e. nutrition facts, bilingual statements, etc.), the importers also stressed the importance of providing sustainable and timely products and meeting quality and SPS requirements. The producers of panela and tilapia were encouraged to continue their efforts to maintain Good Agriculture Practices (GAP), and at the same time, continue their teamwork which is key to the success of the whole sector. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia provided information on opportunities for financing future projects that could benefit the associations. Such would be suitable for the establishment
Ms. Esmilda Mendez, Manager of the Panela Cooperative ASOPROPANOC, showing existing panela molds to Canadian importer Ms. Nancy Ciancibello, and IICA staff Pilar Agudelo and Pedro Chacon
Panela Cooperative “Central de Mieles” demonstrating the panela processing process to participants of the mission.
Workers give feed to Tilapia based on detailed calculations.
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IICA Canada
The Power of Place! A recent visit to the City of Guelph quickly reinforced why the University of Guelph as well as other agri-food and industry groups, enjoy the “Power of Place”. Guelph really is a “food mecca”! A chat with faculty members of the Ontario Agriculture College (OAC) revealed encouraging news about the increasing enrollment in their Agriculture program. Also interesting was the willingness of students and faculty to participate in international research projects. The U of Guelph is one of the beneficiaries of IICA Canada’s Research Internship and Assistance Program (RIAP). The tour and discussion at the Guelph Research Centre left the IICA Canada team with several ideas for potential collaboration with researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Centre continues to conduct relevant and practical research in areas ranging from food safety to nutraceuticals. The “Power of Place” was again clearly demonstrated through the programs and activities of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) headquartered in Guelph. Through partnerships, including one with the University of Guelph, OMAFRA spoke of their innovative and dynamic menu of activities. The possibilities appear endless! Representative Dr. Audia Barnett and Technical Cooperation Specialist, Pedro Chacon, noted several common interest areas for IICA’s Flagship projects, and will be maintaining links for meaningful engagement.
IICA’s team held very productive sessions with: 1. University of Guelph 2. AAFC, Guelph Research and Development Centre
3. OMAFRA, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
IICA Canada
Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2015 The Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2015 was held on October 19-22 in Mexico and ended with a declaration containing commitments designed to improve agricultural productivity in the hemisphere, with technical support from IICA. The Ministers pledged to maintain a dialogue with the representatives of the agricultural sector, promote efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of agriculture, and propose policies, programs and instruments to encourage productivity, investment, innovation, infrastructure, science and technology, agricultural health and food safety, and climate change adaptation and mitigation, with special emphasis on family and small-scale farming. The Ministers voiced the need to harmonize the technical cooperation provided by international organizations, and to align that support with national priorities with a view to making agriculture more productive, sustainable and inclusive. Dr. Victor M. Villalobos, Director General of IICA, stated that the agricultural sector needs to introduce new production systems that are more environmentally friendly and will meet the demand for the food, oils and fibers that the world’s burgeoning population requires. During the meeting, the Ministers also met as the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA) to reach agreement on actions to strengthen IICA. The IABA is the highest-level governing body of this specialized agency of the Inter-American System.
The cooperation agenda seeks to: strengthen the participation of the ministries of agriculture; promote a modern education system that is inclusive and respectful of traditional knowledge; help increase the capacity of innovation systems to achieve sustainable agriculture adapted to climate change; and, support cooperation on international trade in agricultural products.
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IICA Canada
Hemispheric Meeting of Agricultural Research Bodies - A Turning Point The Americas are being eyed as the potential Breadbasket of the world however, ensuring the requisite policies, infrastructure, capacities to respond through productivity gains and improved competitiveness is quite another. Focussed strategies and investment in agricultural research and innovation have repeatedly demonstrated attractive returns on investment. Mechanisms such as the Forum for the Americas on Agricultural Research and Technology Development –FORAGRO are integral to ensuring that priorities are identified and addressed at national and sub-regional levels. Mindful of the pivotal role that FORAGRO can play in the Americas, IICA has been reviewing its operations and performance towards strengthening FORAGRO’s impact. A study was commissioned at the XV meeting of FORAGRO’s (Extended) Executive Committee convened by IICA, the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology FONTAGRO, and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation –EMBRAPA, in Brasilia. Private and public research organizations, farmers’ organizations, NGOs, academia and young scientists agreed on a plan to fortify FORAGRO. The group discussed the importance of having an appropriate governance model, defining national priorities for research, and increasing public investment. Members of FORAGRO were privy to best practices and case studies in several countries. Dr. Gilles Saindon, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, for example, was on hand to share the Canada’s experience regarding partnerships in the agricultural innovation system. The critical role of trust and commitment were advanced as being key success factors, and FORAGRO was encouraged to facilitate mechanisms for partnership building, while avoiding duplication of efforts. Meeting participants were able to articulate views on what the function and governance system of FORAGRO should look like going forward, as well as avenues for financial sustainability and mechanisms for implementing impactful programs. As Executive Secretary of
PROCINORTE, Dr. Barnett is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of FORAGRO which was tasked with developing a work plan for the next steps. The FORAGRO’S Presidential baton was passed to Dr. Francisco Anglesio, President Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, INTA, Argentina, who expressed his commitment to overseeing the agreed transition.
Dr. Victor Villalobos, Director General of IICA
Dr. Gilles Saindon, AAFC, President of PROCINORTE, giving his opening remarks at FORAGRO
FORAGRO was created in 1997 by the InterAmerican Board of Agriculture, the decision making body of the Ministers of Agriculture in the Americas. Since its creation, FORAGRO has supported the review of a wide range of topics such as adaptation to climate change, conservation and use of genetic resources, biotechnology, and agribusiness. FORAGRO is a member of the Global Forum for Agricultural Research – GFAR.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
UPCOMING EVENTS January
IICA Canada Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Canada Office
1: New Years day 6: Canadian Pulse Feast, Toronto, ON 20 - 22: 6th Annual Agri-Food Policy Conference, Ottawa, ON
22 - 23: International Forum WUSC & CECI: Collaborative action for youth and women, Ottawa, ON
February
15: Family Day, ON
March
10-11: Launch of Pulse Innovation Platform, Montreal, QC 14-16: Canadian Agricultural Workforce Summit, Winnipeg, MB
Phone: 613-230-1044 Fax: 613-230-1951 E-mail: iica.ca@iica.int Visit our NEW WEBSITE!!!
25: Good Friday 28: Easter Monday
130 Albert Street, Suite 1002 Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4
@iica_canada
www.iica.int/canada