This was the view shared by the Group of Ambassadors of Latin America (GRULAC) in the North African country and the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero, in a virtual dialogue that included a detailed analysis of the economic and social impact that Latin America and the Caribbean are suffering as a result of the disruptions that have altered the global food, energy and fertilizer markets.

The discussion took place in the context of the activities that IICA is carrying out in preparation for COP 27. For that global meeting, at which the future of collective actions to mitigate and adapt to global warming will be defined, the ministers and secretaries of agriculture of the Americas asked IICA to coordinate the search for consensus in order to present a convergent position of the continent on the agricultural issue.

Meeting in may, ministers, secretaries and officials from 32 countries of the Americas said that current global conditions have heightened awareness of the fragility of food and nutrition security at the global level and the need for greater sustainable agricultural productivity, especially in the face of growing climate risks.

The Argentine Ambassador to Egypt, Eduardo Antonio Varela, who hosted the meeting, underscored the value of IICA's commitment to cooperate with Egypt in the run-up to the november conference, to be held in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

"The rapprochement between IICA and Egypt is of enormous importance for those of us who represent the Latin American nations here", Varela said from the Argentine Embassy in Cairo.

As agreed in may by the Director General of IICA and the Minister of Environment of the North African country, Yasmine Fouad, during a virtual meeting, the Institute's support will focus on the generation and transfer of scientific knowledge related to food and nutrition security, agriculture and innovation, and their relationship with climate change.

"The agricultural agenda will occupy an important place at the conference, at a time of tensions in global food market”, said Varela, who pointed out that Egypt, which will receive officials and experts on environmental issues from around the world, is a particularly vulnerable country in terms of food security and noted its special dependence on imports of wheat, a cereal whose price has soared due to the war in Eastern Europe.

The mexican ambassador and dean of GRULAC in Cairo, Octavio Tripp, considered that food security is an issue of enormous relevance in the current situation.

"Undoubtedl," he said, "food security is linked to climate change, so the upcoming COP 27 in Egypt makes its joint analysis very relevant. The Latin American ambassadors in this country have a great interest in enlightening us on the reality of food security", referring also to the situation faced by agricultural production due to the problems of fertilizer availability.

Collective action

"We are convinced that the agricultural sector will have a prominent place at COP 27, as part of the solution to the problems of climate change and the need to conserve biodiversity. Food security, which is threatened by various factors, cannot be dealt with in isolation, but must be addressed in conjunction with environmental issues, international trade, energy issues and the quality of life of communities", said Otero.

The Director General explained that IICA, as an institution that looks to the world from the Americas, promotes collective action.

"The ministers of agriculture of the hemisphere are our constituents, but we also interact with other ministries and with the private sector, universities and civil society organizations, because sustainable development and the transformation of agriculture must be the concern of all stakeholders. It is time to act together. We must develop a powerful message to strengthen the participation of the agricultural sector in all areas where the climate issue is discussed", he said.

Otero explained that IICA will work to ensure that Latin America showcases its progress in no-till farming, natural pastures, silvopastoral systems, waste reduction and other good practices in the area of environmental sustainability at COP 27. "We have to show them and be proud of them", he said.

Otero said that it is essential to highlight the importance of Latin America and the Caribbean, both in issues related to climate change and global food security.

"The region explained has much of the planet's natural resources: 50% of the planet's biodiversity, 22% of fresh water, 31% of fresh water and 33% of arable land. Our forests play a fundamental role as a carbon sink and in the water cycle. And we generate only 9% of total greenhouse gas emissions, while we are the world's net food-exporting region. This should give us strength at the time of negotiations.

In addition to Ambassadors Varela (Argentina) and Tripp (Mexico), the meeting was attended by the heads of mission in Egypt of Brazil, Antonio Patriota; of Ecuador, Rafael Veintimilla; of Guatemala, José Guillermo; of Panama, Julissa de Hoyos; of Cuba, Tania Aguiar; of Venezuela, William Omar; and of Colombia, Ana Milena Muñoz.

Ministers, secretaries and agricultural aggregates from the embassies of the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Uruguay also participated.

The Ambassador of Panama asked the Director General of IICA for details of the Institute's digital agriculture initiatives.

Otero listed the actions aimed at stimulating rural connectivity, in partnership with organizations such as the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) and Microsoft, the building of digital capabilities in rural populations, and the Institute's role as a bridge between start-ups focused on the agricultural sector and investment funds, among others.