As the international community looks towards the election of the next Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), expected to take place in mid-2027, I believe that Dr. Manuel Otero should give serious consideration to offering himself as a candidate.
I had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Otero throughout his entire tenure as Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in my capacity then as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. During that period, I witnessed his leadership at close range. That experience gave me a direct appreciation of Dr. Otero’s commitment to agricultural development, food security and rural transformation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. I also observed his ability to listen to the concerns of governments, farmers, researchers and rural communities and to translate those concerns into meaningful technical cooperation.
Under Dr. Otero’s leadership, IICA strengthened its position as a trusted development partner to the countries of the Americas, and bridged and important technical cooperation gap between Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa and positioned the hemisphere to facilitate many global initiatives during his tenure. For sure, this was not done in isolation of other developmental partners such as FAO. Science, technology and innovation were placed at the centre of the Institute’s work. His administration promoted stronger agrifood systems, greater agricultural resilience, family farming, rural development and cooperation among the countries of the region. He listened to the priorities of our governments, respected the realities of our farmers and ensured that IICA’s technical expertise was made available to support agricultural institutions and rural communities across the region.
The world now faces an increasingly complex food and agriculture environment. Hunger and malnutrition remain serious concerns. Climate change is affecting agricultural production, fisheries and rural livelihoods. International conflicts are disrupting supply chains, while farmers continue to face rising production costs and difficulties accessing technology, finance and markets. The next Director General of FAO must therefore be more than an administrator. That person must understand agriculture from the perspective of farmers and rural communities while possessing the diplomatic ability to build consensus among countries with different economic circumstances, agricultural systems and national priorities.
The incoming Director General must also be capable of bringing governments, research institutions, farmers’ organisations, development partners and the private sector together around practical solutions. Dr. Otero demonstrated precisely these qualities during his leadership of IICA.
His leadership would ensure that the concerns of developing countries, small island states, family farmers, agricultural workers and rural communities remain central to the international agricultural agenda.
At the same time, his commitment to science, innovation and international cooperation would enable him to engage constructively with developed countries, international financial institutions, research organisations and the private sector. His candidacy would offer FAO’s Member Nations an experienced, credible and forward-looking leader with a proven record of transforming policy into practical agricultural cooperation. It would also give the international community an opportunity to consider a leader who understands that global food security depends upon resilient agriculture, scientific innovation, sustainable management of natural resources and meaningful cooperation between developed and developing countries.
Based on my direct knowledge of Dr. Otero’s leadership, integrity and record of service that I witnessed throughout his tenure at IICA, it is my considered belief that he possesses the experience and vision required to lead FAO.
For these reasons, I publicly encourage Dr. Manuel Otero to consider presenting himself as a candidate for Director General of FAO. The time has come for him to answer that call.
Saboto S. Caesar
Former Minister of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour Saint Vincent
