What is IICA?
More than 75 years ago, a group of visionaries recognized the need to create an agency specializing in agriculture for the American continent, with a purpose that still remains valid today: to promote agricultural development and rural well-being in this region.
As a result, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) was born. Throughout this time, the Institute has succeeded in identifying challenges and opportunities and, most importantly, evolving into an international technical cooperation organization that permanently responds to the new demands of the agriculture sector.
The Institute provides its cooperation through daily, close and permanent work with its 34 Member States, whose needs it addresses in an expeditious manner. Without a doubt, IICA’s most valuable asset is the close relationship it maintains with the beneficiaries of its work. We have broad experience in areas such as technology and innovation for agriculture, agricultural health and food safety, agribusiness, agricultural trade, rural development, natural resource management and training.
We are committed to the achievement of results. The 2018-2022 Medium-term Plan fosters the evolution of IICA’s technical cooperation model, in order to consolidate the Institute’s standing as an organization that is geared toward the achievement of concrete, visible results through its exceptional capacity to drive positive transformations in the agricultural and rural sectors of its Member States.
Mission and vision
Our mission is to encourage, promote and support our Member States in their efforts to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being, through international technical cooperation of excellence.
Our vision is to be a modern and efficient institution supported by a platform of human resources and processes that are capable of mobilizing the knowledge available in the region and around the world, with the aim of achieving a competitive, inclusive and sustainable agriculture that takes advantage of opportunities to contribute to economic growth and development as well as to foster greater rural well-being and sustainable management of its natural capital.
Cooperation model
Our model prioritizes triangular cooperation and South-South cooperation, and is geared toward:
Efficiency
Flexibility
Decentralization
Collaborative work and networking, with a focus on processes as well as the mobilization of human, institutional and financial resources.
Strategic objectives
1. Increase the contributions of the agriculture sector to economic growth and sustainable development. 2. Contribute to the well-being of all rural dwellers. 3. Improve international and regional trade for countries in the region. 4. Increase the resilience of rural areas and agrifood systems to extreme events.
Where do we work?
A Northern Region: Canada, Mexico and the United States.
B Central Region: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
C Andean Region: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
D Southern Region: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
E Caribbean Region: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
19Observer Countries:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Russian Federation, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Portugal, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Czech Republic, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Poland, the People’s Republic of China, Romania, Turkey and the European Union.
1Associate Country: Spain.
How do we do it?
Institutional strengthening. Capacity building and development of human talent. Development and strengthening of public policies. Management and use of knowledge. Project management. Coordination of stakeholders. Corporate management.
Our human resources
608
people working to drive agricultural development and rural well-being in the Americas
More than
2500
consultants
Thematic areas
Our roadmap is based on five hemispheric programs, which lend uniqueness to IICA’s vision; channel the Institute’s programmatic actions toward the identification of cooperation actions through the design and implementation of projects; and provide technical advice and assistance to governments and other social and economic stakeholders involved in agricultural and rural life in the Americas.
Los programas son:
1. Bioeconomy and Production Development
2. Territorial Development and Family Farming
3. International Trade and Regional Integration
4. Climate Change, Natural Resources and Management of Production Risks
5. Agricultural Health, Safety and Food Quality
Ejes transversales
Género y juventud Innovación y tecnología
How is IICA governed?
The Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), comprising the representatives of its 34 member countries. It meets biennially.
The Executive Committee, comprising representatives of 12 Member States, elected in accordance with the principles of partial rotation and equitable geographic distribution. It meets annually.
The General Directorate is the executive organ of IICA. It is made up of the technical and administrative units through which the activities of the Institute are coordinated and carried out.
Dr. Manuel Otero, a citizen of Argentina, has served as the Director General of IICA since January 2018; he was elected for the period 2018-2022.
Headquarters
0.5 miles North from the Ipís-Coronado Intersection Vazquez de Coronado
San Isidro 11101 - Costa Rica
San José, Costa Rica
Phone (+506) 2216 0222
Fax (+506) 2216 0233
E-mail: iicahq@iica.int
