Dr. Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO, took part as a panelist in the side event of the 1890 Universities Center of Excellence for Global Food Security and Defense (CEGFSD), held within the framework of the World Food Prize Borlaug International Dialogue. Dr. Saini joined the high-level panel of the event organized by CEGFSD, based at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). The session brought together more than 120 participants during the Borlaug International Dialogue, one of the world's most influential gatherings on food security.

The panel was moderated by Dr. Moses T. Kairo, dean of UMES's Simon A. Haley School of Agriculture & Natural Sciences and director of CEGFSD. Dr. Saini was joined by Dr. Koffi Akakpo, president of Kentucky State University; Daniel Whitley of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service; Dr. Geraldine Mukeshimana, vice president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Alice Ruhweza, president of AGRA; and Dr. John Ulimwengu, senior research fellow at IFPRI.

Panelists explored opportunities to strengthen food security through an integrated view of its economic, social, environmental, policy and institutional dimensions. They highlighted the potential of innovation and transformative solutions to build stronger agrifood systems. They also agreed on promoting broad, adaptive approaches that address food security as an interconnected agenda.

As a representative of Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Saini brought the region's perspective to the table. She presented FONTAGRO's experience co-financing agricultural research and innovation among countries, creating regional public goods and scaling field-tested solutions. In doing so, she showed how regional cooperation turns knowledge into practical, context-specific strategies, as the panel called for.

Dr. Saini underscored that Latin America and the Caribbean has the opportunity to build public-private innovation systems with FONTAGRO: a network of 15 countries where cooperation becomes research, development and innovation (R&D&I) with impact. Since 1998, FONTAGRO has co-financed 227 regional projects, with US$168.4 million in cumulative co-financing and more than 500 participating institutions. “Latin America and the Caribbean is key to global food security. Innovation built through partnerships among countries is the path to more productive, sustainable and resilient agrifood systems."

The event closed with a commitment to turn the panel's insights into short- and medium-term priorities. For FONTAGRO, taking part in forums such as the Borlaug Dialogue is strategic for the region: it places agricultural innovation from Latin America and the Caribbean on the global food security agenda, alongside actors such as IFAD, IFPRI, AGRA and USDA. These spaces allow FONTAGRO to bring its member countries' voice to where priorities are set, and to bring back networks and opportunities for technical cooperation and co-financing that strengthen more productive, sustainable and resilient agrifood systems in the region.

Learn more at: UMES story on the event