OLDS – Cooperation among governments, producers and other stakeholders will be key to the long-term success of the agriculture sector across the Americas and around the world going forward, delegates heard at a recent forum at Olds College of Agriculture & Technology.
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) held its ‘Americas Agriculture and Food Security Forum’ at the college June 16-17.
More than 200 delegates from Canada, USA, Mexico, Caribbean nations, and elsewhere were attendance, with many others participating online.
The forum included political and leadership-level panel discussions on topics such as international cooperation and trade, science and innovation in agriculture, agriculture technology, and sustainability and profitability for farmers.
The North American Trade and Markets panel discussion featured comments from Mexico’s Ambassador to Canada Carlos Manuel Joaquin Gonzalez, Agricultural Minister Counselor for the United States Department of Agriculture Mary Ellen Smith, Trade Facilitation Office Canada executive director Steve Tipman, and Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agrifood Canada Tom Rosser.
Appearing online from the G7 summit in Kananaskis, ambassador Gonzalez said, “Trade in food is not competition, it is cooperation and it is also about people. This is a moment of opportunity.
“I believe we are not only facing challenges, we are standing at the edge of opportunity. It is time to move beyond the traditional model of food trade and embrace a new vision. The Americas have everything it takes to lead this transformation.”
Canada has “much to offer and much to gain. Together we can strengthen food systems from north to south ... with policies that protect the future and let us keep building a region where food is not just a commodity, but a pathway to security, equity and peace.”
Mary Ellen Smith said, “We have a lot of interest in getting along and making sure things work out. A big part of what we need to do is to focus on what can be done, how can we lift everyone up. I think (what) is really, really important, is lets stay away from the noise. Let’s focus on feeding the world.”
Other panel discussions included Feeding the Future Together, Supporting Farmers Through Soil Data and Carbon Credit, Cultivating a Climate for a Food Secured Future, and Global Agriculture Trade and Integration.
Officials at the conference included Debbie Thompson - president of Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, Jason Hale - Deputy Minister of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, Jean-Charles Le Vallée - Canadian representative with Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and Canadian Senator Rob Black.
Todd Ormann, vice-president of external relations and research at Olds College said, “There’s no way we would be able to feed the world like we do today if it wasn’t for global cooperation.”
Delegates toured Olds College’s Smart Farm high-tech living laboratory.
The Americas Agriculture and Food Security Forum was supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, along with sponsorship by Canadian and international agri-food sector partners.
