Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali is at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica. An interesting development regarding his trip is that IICA’s award for Leadership in Food Security and Sustainable Development will be conferred upon him during this visit.
He is also expected to sit down with Rodrigo Chaves Robles, the President of Costa Rica when he makes a courtesy call.
President Irfaan Ali represents the Caribbean and will also speak from the perspective of the entire Americas when he addresses the forum regarding global agriculture.
According to the IICA, President Ali is being appreciated for his leadership in agricultural transformation, food security, and support for building resilient economies in a sustainable manner in Guyana and the Caribbean. The award is a way of highlighting the good work that President Irfaan Ali has put into this particular aspect.
The IICA also was quick to appreciate President Irfaan Ali for his commitment to public agendas on such issues as regional integration, rural connectivity, social inclusion in the countryside and gender equality, all of which fall within the domain that the IICA focuses on.
These factors played a role in the decision going in President Ali’s favour. An intriguing fact about this is that President Irfaan Ali will be the first awardee in this category for the IICA.
The Institute is known for providing cooperative services by working in close proximity with its 34 Member States. These include countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The President will be joined by his spouse, First Lady Arya Ali; Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and Advisor to CARICOM on Agri-Food System Dr Richard Blair.
The award is seen as a great honour and is a testament to the work that has gone into improving Guyana’s agricultural system and related industries.
Another factor that is considered and appreciated is the work that Guyana has done in improving and ensuring food security levels. Many issues, related to adverse weather conditions and lack of sufficient infrastructure, were hindrances to Guyana in the past.
The government in recent times though, has worked diligently to eliminate these problems and ensure that the demand and supply of the food market is maintained to a reasonable degree. This ensures reasonable prices by maintaining the economic flow of supply and demand while also ensuring adequate reserves of resources.
Through such measures, Guyana can now manage its food resources in an efficient manner and ensure supply during times of distress or in emergencies, natural or otherwise.