Americas’ Agriculture essential to global food security, transformation and resilience necessary, say IICA, IDB heads

Global food, energy, and environmental stability cannot be achieved without the agricultural output of the Americas, asserts Muhammad Ibrahim, head of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.

An IICA release stated that he delivered this message during a presentation organized by the Inter-American Development Bank, where he was invited to discuss the critical role agriculture must play in shaping the region’s development agenda.

During his visit to Washington, Ibrahim met with Pedro Martel, who leads the Agriculture and Rural Development Division at the IDB. Their session drew around 240 attendees, both in person and online, reportedly fostering an active exchange of questions and perspectives.

According to the media release, both leaders emphasized the global significance of agriculture in the Americas. The region not only leads the world as a net exporter of food but also contributes 22% of total global food production. Despite this strength, Martel highlighted a stark contrast: 28% of the rural population still faces food insecurity.

He explained that, “At IDB, we have analyzed agricultural productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last sixty years. Despite significant growth during this period, there was a sharp decline in the pace of growth between 2010 and 2020, primarily due to gaps in technical efficiency. The major challenge we face today is to reactivate productivity and growth, while also protecting natural resources.”

IICA noted that the discussion also underscored the complementary roles of the two institutions. IICA contributes technical knowledge, regional coordination, and on-the-ground expertise, while the IDB provides financial tools to support development initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Their shared agenda includes medium-term efforts to address structural weaknesses, particularly in food infrastructure, logistics, inclusive production, and plant and animal health. Over the longer term, both organizations are prioritizing the bioeconomy as a key pathway for transforming rural production systems across the hemisphere.

“IICA and the IDB have a unique opportunity to intensify their joint work and to assist the countries to establish a more competitive and resilient productive base. The sheer scale, resources and capacities of agriculture of the Americas equips it to lead the future of global agrifood systems. However, this leadership is not guaranteed; it will depend on the decisions that we make today,” leveraged Ibrahim.

Addressing the current global landscape, Ibrahim pointed to the growing impact of geopolitical tensions and market disruptions on agrifood systems. He stressed that responding to these challenges requires more than short-term fixes—it demands deep structural change to strengthen resilience and competitiveness, as per the release.

He pointed out that, “Global agrifood systems are increasingly subject to more frequent climate, geopolitical, logistical, and market shocks, which are often simultaneous and interconnected. We cannot consider these events as isolated but must recognize that they are redefining conditions for production, trade, and food security.”

Ibrahim also warned that these disruptions do not affect all stakeholders equally, said IICA. Pre-existing inequalities play a major role in determining how countries and producers cope with crises.

“Impact and response capacities vary tremendously. Small farmers suffer the most, and at the country level, technological gaps enhance inequalities. Countries that are the most advanced in science and technology applied to productivity and resilience are in a much better position to respond,” he said.

He added, “Therefore”, he explained, “IICA plays an essential role in helping to transfer knowledge between the countries, to support those who need it most. We have set ourselves this goal and we are ready to achieve it.”

Another major concern raised was the region’s reliance on imported agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizers and energy. Ibrahim highlighted this dependency as a critical vulnerability.

He warned that, “In Latin America and the Caribbean, there is an excessive dependence on imported fertilizers. Even a global agrifood power, like Brazil, imports more than 80% of its fertilizers. Inputs in general impact agricultural costs and in mechanized systems can account for as much as 70% of expenses. As such, the production model defines a system’s vulnerability: the greater the dependence on imported strategic inputs, the greater exposure to external shocks.”

At the same time, he noted that resilience and competitiveness are shaped by multiple interconnected factors, including productivity levels, input use, diversification strategies, and logistics systems.

In conclusion, IICA reports that Ibrahim stressed the importance of transforming agrifood systems at a structural level: “Our agrifood systems will reduce their structural vulnerabilities by transforming their fundamental aspects to increase their productivity and reduce dependence on strategic external inputs. This in turn will result in increased income for farmers and more accessible and nutritious food for all.”