THE Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) nominee for Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, met with Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Julio Berdegué, on Wednesday to discuss his vision for the future of the hemispheric agency ahead of November’s election.

Dr. Ibrahim, an agronomist with over 30 years of executive leadership and international management experience, was formally nominated for the post by President Dr. Irfaan Ali of Guyana. His candidacy has received the unanimous backing of all 14 CARICOM member states that are also part of IICA.
“I was pleased to welcome Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, Guyana’s candidate for the Director General of IICA. We discussed his proposals for strengthening this international organization,” Berdegué stated in a message shared on social media.

During their meeting, Ibrahim and Berdegué explored opportunities to enhance technical co-operation between IICA and Mexico, with a focus on addressing regional agricultural challenges. Discussions highlighted the need for innovation to modernise the agricultural sector and improve animal and plant health — particularly efforts to combat the cattle gut worm (GBG), a persistent threat to livestock production.

“We discussed Mexico’s priorities for a technical co-operation agenda that will address the needs of the country and the region through IICA,” Ibrahim explained. “These include targeted action on animal and plant health and adopting new technologies to strengthen agricultural productivity and resilience.”
In addition to his talks with the Agriculture Minister, Ibrahim met with senior officials at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Under-Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights Enrique Ochoa Martínez and Daniel Cámara, Director General for American Regional Organizations and Mechanisms. There, he presented his candidacy and outlined his plans to build stronger agricultural systems across the Americas.

“I discussed my candidacy for the Director General of IICA, which is supported by all the countries of the Caribbean Community and many other nations on the continent,” Ibrahim said.

The election for IICA’s next Director General will take place in November, when agriculture ministers from across the Americas will select a successor to Argentine veterinarian, Manuel Otero. Alongside Ibrahim, candidates include Laura Suazo, Honduras’ Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock, and Fernando Mattos, former Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay.

Founded in 1942, IICA is the specialised agency for agriculture within the Inter-American System, working to promote agricultural development and rural well-being across its 34 member states.