Buenos Aires, 29 April (EFE)– Manuel Otero, the Argentinian Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), today called on politicians to use agriculture as an instrument to break the vicious cycle of poverty in America.

In an article published in the Buenos Aires newspaper, La Nación, Otero maintained that “This will call for innovative and bold actions to foster social and territorial cohesion so that we may break the vicious cycle of poverty leading to greater poverty and respond effectively to the need for increased opportunities that will put an end to the rural-urban drift”.

In his article, entitled “En la agenda del desarrollo, la agricultura debe ser protagonista” (“Agriculture should play a leading role in the development agenda”), Otero posited that this approach “will allow us to transform family farmers, who are vital to food security, to become key players in change that gives them access to the latest technology”.

The Director General of the agricultural arm of the Organization of American States (OAS) recalled that “the most advanced countries, those that have evolved into true information and knowledge societies, have all developed successful strategies for agricultural and rural development”.

Thus, he argued that “in our Hemisphere, the majority of countries need to complete this process, and therefore it is vital that the agriculture sector be given priority in governmental agendas”, further stating that “if we travel this road, it will allow us to accomplish our objective to achieve harmonious and integrated development”.

Manuel Otero maintained that “there is an urgent need to develop a renewed and positive approach to agricultural activity that will facilitate greater opportunities for progress and value added, which calls for sound state policies”.

He also pointed out that “many of our countries” have not committed to placing agriculture at the heart of their political agendas, in direct contradiction to post-war agreements between the United States and Europe.

For this reason, he said, “they should and can adjust attitudes that have led to inequality and improve access to education, health, infrastructure and a sense of connection in rural areas to enable a quality of life comparable to urban areas”.

This, Otero believes, “will undoubtedly help to build civic responsibility and train human resources through the development of strategic plans bolstered by international technical cooperation, which is one of the avenues for conducting international relations today.

“In addition to promoting solidarity”- he added – “this cooperation can further stimulate development, by facilitating the modernization of the productive sector, public management innovation and trade”.

He stressed that “its success depends primarily on adopting policies with a long term vision that recognize agriculture as a positive force for economic and social transformation”.

IICA is an organization of the Inter-American system, serving 34 member countries and specializing in the promotion of agricultural development and food security in the hemisphere.  Manuel Otero was elected as Director General on 26 October 2017 and assumed office on 16 January 2018.

A veterinarian by training, Otero has a 30-year history with IICA, where he has held various positions, including as the Representative in Brazil and in Uruguay.