Electronic bulletin of
Agust 15 - Agust 30, Year 5. Nº9
IICA Connection is the electronic bulletin of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). It will be sent bi-monthly to your e-mail address with information on recent activities of the Institute. We welcome your comments at the following address: iicaconexion@iica.int
IDB, IICA, OAS, and Government of Guyana to promote renewable energy projects in the Caribbean
In a Memorandum of Understanding, they pledged to promote bio-fuel projects in the Caribbean Region.
The training process has a strong practical emphasis, focusing on lessons learned.
The book, entitled “Atlas of Agroenergy and Biofuels in the Americas – Ethanol”, was presented in Guyana.
Officials of the member countries of the Southern Agricultural Council are drafting the Work Plan.
The institutions signed a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for joint efforts between September 2007 and August 2012.
The IICA Office in Ecuador aims to help strengthen the guidelines for rural development and make it sustainable over the long term
The MIF will finance an initiative to differentiate products based on their origin.
IDB, IICA, OAS, and Government of Guyana to promote renewable energy projects in the Caribbean
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government of Guyana today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote projects on renewable energy, energy efficiency and bioenergy in the Caribbean.
According to a press release issued by the IDB from Guyana, the memorandum was signed during the seminar "Expanding Bioenergy Opportunities in the Caribbean" being held in Guyana August 6-7.
This high-level seminar seeks to formalize regional efforts towards the development of the Caribbean Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Bioenergy Action Program (CREBAP), initiate a dialogue on agro-energy strategy for the region, and foster partnerships among public and private sectors, including private investors, carbon financiers, and project developers interested in the Caribbean bioenergy industry.
Under the MoU, the parties agree to explore ways in which sustainable energy and biofuels projects can be promoted and financed in the Caribbean; seek opportunities for public-private partnerships and private investments on renewable energy, energy efficiency and bioenergy; develop an agro-energy strategy to be used by CARICOM member states; and help CARICOM member states access the biofuel world markets.
"This MOU is very important because it creates a framework to coordinate our efforts in creating sustainable renewable energy for the region and it allows us to receive assistance from international institutions, especially the the IDB," said President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana, who delivered the keynote speech at the seminar.
IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno highlighted the unique circumstances that the nations of the Caribbean face: that they have had a long history of cultivating sugar cane, the world's most cost-effective feedstock for ethanol; that, with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago, they are almost totally dependent on imported fossil fuels; and that the reduction of preferential prices for Caribbean sugar by European buyers is forcing sugar producing countries to find new sources of revenue.
"These three factors make a very compelling case for creating ethanol industries to meet domestic fuel needs in the Caribbean," said Moreno. "Biofuels represent a uniquely attractive opportunity for the region."
Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary-General of the OAS, applauded the inter-agency relationship between IICA, IDB and the OAS and the longer-term commitments they agreed to under the MoU.
"These commitments are a reflection of the reality that no one agency has all the resources or the capacity to support the needs of the Caribbean in this emerging sector, and that acting together a lot more can be achieved than by acting alone," said Ramdin.
The Director General of IICA, Chelston Brathwaite, stressed that the necessary conditions exist in the countries of the Caribbean to develop bio-fuel projects, and urged them to ensure that all initiatives balance the need for energy and food, are environmentally friendly and lead to new opportunities for rural communities.
Participants at the seminar include Guyana's Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud; Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington; IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno, IICA Director General, Chelston Brathwaite; OAS Assistant Secretary General, Surinam Ambassador Albert R. Ramdin; and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and Caricom Prime Minister with lead responsibility for energy, Patrick Manning.
Event organizers included the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, the Government of Guyana, the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Program (CREDP), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), and the Organization of American States (OAS).
IICA launches Atlas of Agroenergy in the Americas
During the seminar “Increasing bioenergy opportunities in the Caribbean,” held at the start of August in Guyana, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) launched a book on the current situation and outlook for ethanol production in several countries of the Americas.
During the same seminar, the Institute and a number of other international and regional organizations signed a memorandum of understanding to promote projects involving renewable energy, energy efficiency and bioenergy in the Caribbean.
The study presented, the first in a three-volume series, was undertaken to determine the current situation of agroenergy and biofuel production in the Americas. The second volume will focus on the production of biodiesel and the third on agroenergy in the Americas.
The “Atlas of Agroenergy and Biofuels in the Americas - Ethanol” describes the situation regarding ethanol - an increasingly important product - from a technical perspective, to enable the countries to work together to improve the standard of living of rural communities in the hemisphere.
The document is divided into two parts. The first contains an overview of sugar and ethanol production in Latin America, while the second consists of a country-by-country breakdown of the current situation of agroenergy and biofuels. In both cases, data is presented regarding gasoline consumption in the region, the minimum surface area needed to produce, the legal frameworks in place, the use and management of biofuels, ongoing research to improve the production of sugarcane and ethanol, the other crops available and, lastly, the countries that are keen to join the Inter-American Ethanol Commission.
The study was requested by the Commission, which in December 2006 invited IICA to be one of its strategic partners.
The information contained in the publication was culled from a questionnaire that the Institute sent to 21 of its member countries.
IICA and University of Nebraska-Lincoln join forces to boost agriculture in the Americas
On 3 August, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate the work programs of the two organizations and, in doing so, create synergies and forge a logical, cohesive framework for the development of the agricultural sector in the Americas.
They will also endeavor to promote links, transfer relevant information and exchange technological expertise. In addition, they will establish a legal framework for further specific agreements on shared concerns or in response to collaborative efforts proposed by either one of the parties.
The document was signed by John Owens, on behalf of the UNL, and the Deputy Director General of IICA, James Butler. It covers the period 1 September 2007 through 31 August 2012.
The memorandum established the following areas of cooperation:
Global systems of food security and sustainability
Agricultural health and food security
Technology and innovation/Biotechnology
Education and training programs
Exchanges of personnel
Sabbatical years
Opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and professionals to experience a different learning environment (exchanges between institutions)
Progress in these areas will be achieved by means of training workshops and seminars, the production of publications and documents (including translations of documents in the possession of UNL and IICA, to increase access to them), links between the two organizations’ websites and databases, the development and use of distance learning, the sharing of personnel and know-how, as well as the sharing of experiences by the two staffs.
The university and the Institute will be drawing up a work plan to implement the memorandum.
PROMECAFE to execute project to add value to exports
The Regional Cooperative Program for Technology Development and the Modernization of Coffee Cultivation (PROMECAFE) of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is to execute a regional project to promote the use of geographical indications to add value to the agrifood exports of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced in a press release.
The IDB’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) is to provide a US$1,530,000 grant. “The project aims to offer Central America’s agrifood sector an opportunity to compete in international markets by differentiating their products based on their origin and help local producers reap greater economic benefits,” said IDB project team leader Diego Arias.
Like branding and other intellectual property mechanisms, geographical indications help differentiate and protect products. The information they convey helps consumers know not only about the origin of a given product but also the reputation, quality and characteristics linked to that provenance.
Central America has seen some successful experiences in establishing geographical indications for coffee, an emblematic product in the region. The new project will take advantage of regional economies of scale and harmonize the legal and institutional steps the countries are taking on intellectual property rights to establish a basis for using geographical indications for other agrifood products.
The project will be executed by IICA, a specialized agency that promotes agricultural development and the wellbeing of rural populations, which will invest US$670,000 in cash and make in-kind contributions to the project, with assistance from Central American coffee institutions and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI).
The MIF, an autonomous fund managed by the IDB, promotes private sector development in Latin America and the Caribbean, with emphasis on microenterprises and small businesses. In recent years, it financed a regional project to assist small and medium-sized growers in Central America improve coffee quality.
IICA promotes Uruguay-based distance education
Under a public-private partnership with institutions involved in agricultural development, the Office of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Uruguay now offers a series of training courses built around an Internet-based distance-learning platform.
The courses, which began in August, are available under the aegis of the distance-learning platform "Uruguay Agroalimentario al Mundo." There are short courses on topics related to the principal strengths of the agricultural sector, targeted at professionals, producers and leaders of organizations and institutes in Spanish-speaking countries.
The classes will be provided via a virtual classroom offering access to the teaching material. Forums will also be set up to enable students to share ideas and information and maintain regular contact with the educators involved. The training will have a strong practical emphasis and focus on lessons learned.
Students who complete all the assignments requested by the teaching staff will receive a printed certificate.
The first course, on cattle management and its bearing on the quality of the meat produced, started on 6 August and will conclude on 21 September. It is being coordinated by the National Meat Institute of Uruguay (INAC).
The other international distance learning courses available include Reproductive management of sheep, Strategy for assessing meat from pastoral systems, Technology for producing dulce de leche, Rural Tourism, Mastitis and milk quality, and Technological alternatives for producing quality lamb in pastoral systems.
The academic institutions that are members of the Uruguay Agroalimentario al Mundo platform include the schools of veterinary medicine and agronomy of the Universidad de la Republica (UDELAR), the National Meat Institute, the National Agricultural Research Institute, the Agricultural Plan Institute, the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay and the Universidad de la Empresa.
The Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay and the Uruguayan Wool Secretariat are also supporting the initiative.
Progress of the CAS’s effort to prevent avian influenza
Further progress has been made with the work of the Project to Strengthen the Capacity of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) to Prevent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
On 13 August, a meeting took place at the Office of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Argentina. The participants included officials of the Institute itself, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The objective was to draft the Work Plan of the project to strengthen the capacity of the CAS member countries to prevent avian influenza.
The effort calls for the implementation of a platform for participation, consensus-building and interagency articulation with regard to animal health, specifically avian influenza in the Southern Region.
Taking part in the meeting were Victor Arrua, Acting IICA Representative in Argentina and Regional Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) Specialist for the Southern Region; Luis Valdes, IICA Regional Specialist in Brazil; and Manuel Otero, IICA Representative in Uruguay. Also involved were Alejandra Sarquis, Regional Agribusiness Specialist and Administrative Technical Secretary of the CAS/Agricultural Policy Coordination Network (REDPA); Moises Vargas Teran, FAO Regional Animal Health Officer; Juan Garcia Garcia, FAO Avian Influenza Specialist; and Luis Barcos, OIE Regional Representative for the Americas. The other experts who participated were Gabriela Campon, Technical Assistant of the Standing Veterinary Committee of the Southern Cone (CVP); Ernesto Späth, Regional Coordinator of the FAO Project; Ernani Fiori, Adviser to the Director of Operations for the Southern Region and Head of IICA International Relations in the Southern Region; and FAO consultant Carlos Peixoto.
Ecuador receives assistance with the design of public policies
Under the technical leadership of national specialist Silvana Vallejo, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has been supporting the efforts of Ecuador’s public sector to design a set of public agricultural and rural development policies that will underpin efforts to strengthen it and make it sustainable over the long run.
As part of the policy development initiative, Vallejo, a Specialist in Trade, Policies and Integration at the IICA Office in Ecuador, gave a course on the design of public policies in the country’s capital, Quito, in June.
The objective was to develop a program that would equip the participants with tools to strengthen the process of designing, securing legal approval for and implementing public policies.
The meeting sponsored by the IICA Office in Ecuador involved 36 professionals, including directors and specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and university professors.
For more information: silvana.vallejo@iica.int
