–IICA director says

GUYANA has crafted a model to transform its agriculture and food production systems, seeking out newer technologies and innovative programmes to meet the nutritional needs of the region.

Lauding the country’s approach to achieving regional food security targets, such as reducing import expenditure on food, and implementing programmes to address malnutrition and hunger, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Director Dr. Manuel Otero said the nation has been playing ‘a proactive role’ in that regard.

Dr. Otero, during a sit down interview with the Guyana Chronicle on the sidelines of the 38th Session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC) being held in Georgetown, Guyana, said that there have been notable investments in the country’s agriculture sector.

Dr. Otero noted that every country is unique, and their approach to address the challenges faced within the production sector may vary, but in Guyana’s case, what has been notable is the government’s persistent and public-private partnerships to not only increase food production, but also the investments being made in innovation.

“Each country has a model to be followed, and it’s necessary to be persistent and to have a long-term vision,” Dr. Otero said.

This year, Guyana was the host country for the FAO conference, which saw the gathering of regional agriculture ministers and other stakeholders holding discussions to foster deeper cooperation and strategies on essential topics such as sustainability, transformation, food security, agri-food systems and climate change.

“These types of meetings are very important to define, in a multilateral way, what is the road to be followed, but, at the same time, we need to move from rhetoric to action,” Dr. Otero said.

Guyana, he said, has a special responsibility, with the country’s natural resources such as its arable land and tropical eco-system, food production can thrive.
And one such example is the ongoing cultivation of a new high-yielding variety of rice, which is being done in partnership with IICA.

The new bio-fortified rice variety, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) IICA 17), contains 17 to 20mg per a kilogramme of zinc, providing a healthy option to consumers.

While these investments are notable, the IICA director highlighted, however, that there is need for the greater involvement of the private sector and access to financing, not only in Guyana, but regionally as well.

In fact, at the opening ceremony of the conference on Monday, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali urged regional leaders to outline decisive polices that will reflect the political will and financing needed to address these food insecurities.

“Many of us say we want to end hunger and end starvation and malnutrition, but if you look at our budgetary allocation, it does not reflect that will; if you look at the expenditure profile, it does not reflect that will,” Dr. Ali said in his address to agriculture ministers and other leaders gathered at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Monday.

As he went on to say, “Political will is not only about shouting out the message; it’s about taking policy action and making policy intervention that addresses the issues. Political will is about making the necessary adjustments and changes in your own local system to support the message we’re putting forward.”