In a high-level event, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Virginia Tech’s Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative, and FONTAGRO joined forces to present the 2023 Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Report under the theme “Every Farmer, Every Tool.” This webinar, held on September 18th, brought together leaders from the aforementioned organizations, as well as experts, opinion leaders, and key sector stakeholders to discuss the importance of agricultural research and the sustainable growth of productivity in the Americas.
The event also featured Juan Cruz Molina and Eugenia Saini, President and Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO, respectively, who shared valuable insights on the work of this organization and the critical importance of agricultural research in expanding and scaling the sustainable growth of productivity within agri-food systems across the Americas.
The 2023 GAP Report focuses on the fundamental premise of ensuring that every farmer has access to proven and appropriate tools to enhance productivity, specifically addressing three key aspects presented during the webinar:
- Enabling environment for access and adoption of tools: The report highlights the importance of policies, infrastructure, agricultural knowledge, and investments to ensure sustained access and adoption of productivity-enhancing tools.
- External forces and shocks: The report emphasizes the influence of external events on agricultural production and the need to manage uncertainty and risk to drive sustained adoption of productivity-enhancing tools.
- Importance of agricultural research and university collaboration: The crucial role of university research and collaboration between farmers and public research efforts was underscored, with a focus on providing accessible and affordable technologies.
The emphasis on these fundamental aspects reflects the host organizations’ commitment to promoting collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning to ensure sustainable food security for growing global populations.
To watch the webinar recording, visit: https://www.youtube.com/live/N3YVaQpkV2Y?si=tx_vIDwIzI2pYaSt
Read the GAP 2023 report at: https://globalagriculturalproductivity.org/2023-gap-report/
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About FONTAGRO
FONTAGRO was created 1998 with the purpose of promoting the increase of the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and the reduction of poverty in the region. The objective of FONTAGRO is to establish itself as a sustainable financing mechanism for the development of agricultural technology and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean and Spain, and to establish a forum for the discussion of priority topics of technological innovation. The member countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. In the last 21 years 167 regional agricultural innovation platforms have been co-financed for an amount of US $ 124 million, which has reached 452 institutions and 33 countries worldwide.