Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, will be the first recipient of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) award for his contributions to food security and sustainable development, according to the IICA.
“IICA decided to present this award in recognition of President Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s leadership in agricultural transformation, food security, and support for building resilient economies in a sustainable manner in Guyana and the Caribbean,” the IICA said in a statement.
“The President’s support and commitment to public agendas related to issues such as regional integration, rural connectivity, social inclusion in the countryside, and gender equality, all of which are central areas of IICA’s work, were also considered for the presentation of this Award.”
According to IICA, Ali has exercised his leadership as a regional leader in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Quasi-Cabinet, responsible for agriculture and rural development, with a mission to push the regional food security agenda, since his election as head of state.
“President Ali has launched a number of initiatives aimed at ensuring that sustainable agriculture remains a critical pillar of national and regional development.”
“In Guyana, the most notable initiatives include the Agriculture Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (AEIP), which targets youth to become agribusiness owners; agricultural processing and value addition; the revival and expansion of the aquaculture industry; the advancement of the livestock industry and the program for self-sufficiency in livestock feed with corn and soybean production; updating legislation to increase investment and trade; and large infrastructure.”
According to IICA, Ali’s leadership has enhanced Guyana’s leadership in low-carbon development, with the country being the first to be given TREES credits. According to the company, this new carbon credit system is specifically developed for voluntary and compliant carbon markets to successfully avoid forest loss and degradation, a process known as jurisdictional REDD+.
“At the regional level, President Ali’s vision is reflected in agricultural transformation and sustainable development actions.” CARICOM leaders have endorsed measures that call for deliberate action to achieve the regional aim of decreasing the Caribbean’s US$6 billion food import cost by 25% by 2025.
“In addition, President Ali has successfully advocated for the establishment of CARICOM’s Ad Hoc Ministerial Task Force (MTF) on Food Production and Food Security.”
Along with several measures to improve logistics and transportation, the Guyana-Barbados Food Terminal Regional Food Hub is being created.
President Ali will receive the honor on July 19 during the IICA’s 43rd regular meeting in Costa Rica.