The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) have strengthened their partnership with a joint work plan to advance inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa and the Americas. This move comes at a pivotal moment, with key food systems and climate milestones approaching, including COP30 in Brazil and the G20 in South Africa.
The plan builds on a 2021 MoU and nearly four years of South- South collaboration, responding to increased demand for strategic cooperation. It focuses on strengthening institutions, sharing technical expertise, and enhancing food security, agricultural trade, and rural livelihoods while promoting environmental sustainability.
AGRA, known for its work with smallholder farmers across Africa, and IICA, the Americas’ leading agency for rural development, bring complementary strengths to the partnership. Their joint efforts will focus on improving rural well-being, boosting productivity and trade, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing sustainable farming practices.
“This South-South partnership is a powerful signal of inter-regional solidarity and shared ambition,” said AGRA President Alice Ruhweza. “By uniting our expertise with IICA, we’re laying the foundation for resilient, equitable food systems.”
IICA Director General Manuel Otero emphasized the significance of the partnership, noting Africa’s vast untapped agricultural potential: “With 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Africa can become the world’s new agricultural frontier.”
This collaboration follows a series of high-level engagements, including the 2022 Africa-Americas Ministerial Summit in Costa Rica, the 2023 Inter-regional Roundtable in Vietnam, and the 2024 launch of the Africa Living Soils Initiative in Kenya. Most recently, a Brazil-hosted dialogue led to a letter of intent to exchange 30 researchers between African and Latin American institutions to advance food security, regenerative agriculture, and land restoration.
