ASA and other ag organizations signed a letter this week in support of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the integral role the organization plays in bolstering U.S. agriculture and trade priorities.
IICA is a specialized agency for agriculture that supports the efforts of its members to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being. Its programs specialize in areas like technology and innovation for agriculture; agricultural health; food safety and quality; international agricultural trade; family farming; rural development; natural resource management and the bioeconomy.
In the letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the groups highlighted why IICA is a “highly effective and trusted partner.”
The groups underscored IICA’s critical role in prioritizing U.S. stakeholder engagement and advancing core U.S. policy goals by helping reduce non-scientific trade barriers while strengthening partnerships and technical alignment with key trading partners in international forums; preventing the spread of dangerous diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture; and collaborating closely with the private sector.
“The administration’s leadership in prioritizing international investments that deliver results for U.S. agriculture is essential to maintaining global competitiveness,” the groups wrote. “At a time of rising global competition and growing threats to agricultural trade and biosecurity, continued U.S. support for IICA will strengthen American leadership, expand export opportunities, and reinforce the science-based trade systems that help U.S. farmers and ranchers compete—and win—on a fairer global playing field.”
Click here to read the letter.
