The Secretariat of the Andean Community (CAN) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) have jointly launched the new Situation Room and Public Policy Observatory dedicated to Andean Agrifood Systems (Andean OPSAa). These initiatives are designed to significantly enhance agricultural development across Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Serving as a comprehensive knowledge hub, IICA reports that the Andean OPSAa aims to support the creation and enforcement of policies related to food and agriculture by providing in-depth analysis, continuous monitoring, and information management. Its scope includes gathering policy documents, strategic data, and evidence-based advice, fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange on regional agricultural issues.
According to IICA’s press release, the Situation Room component of the Andean OPSAa will facilitate both in-person and virtual gatherings, including policy debates, technical seminars, workshops, and capacity-building initiatives. Located at the headquarters of the Andean Community’s Secretariat in Lima, Peru, the facility is outfitted with cutting-edge technology to enable seamless remote communication among member countries.
The launch event saw participation from prominent figures such as Gonzalo Gutiérrez, Secretary General of the Andean Community; Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA; and Peru’s Minister of Agricultural Development and Irrigation, Angel Manero. These launches represent a strategic move to bolster institutional and operational capabilities, as well as technological advancement in the region, particularly relating to food security, international trade in agriculture, regional integration, sustainability, and other priorities outlined in the Andean Agricultural Agenda and decisions from the Andean Council of Ministers of Agriculture. A key focus is on enhancing the competitiveness of family farms, adds IICA.
The development of these tools stems from a cooperation agreement between the Andean Secretariat and IICA, emphasizing what the Association describes as a shared commitment to formulating more effective, evidence-based public policies in the medium and long term across the region.
Ambassador Gonzalo Gutiérrez highlighted the importance of collaboration, stating,“We are confident that together we will spur the agricultural development of the Andean countries. The Observatory and Situation Room will assist in bridging the technological gaps in agrifood systems in the subregion, benefitting small farmers, in particular.”
Accessible to officials in the agricultural ministries of the Andean nations, as well as farmers, agritech experts, entrepreneurs, and the general public, the Andean OPSAa can be visited via the main platform at https://opsaa.iica.int/ or through the Andean Community’s website: https://www.comunidadandina.org/.
Exercises in futility. Hello, stop the shenanigans and bypass the WTO and IMF if you are to feed yourselves. You’ll find you still can’t, with your store-shelves open for ‘dumping’.
These are just annual side shows for PHDs and other naivety distracted and bullied by the hogs to earn a simple living.