Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) Director General Dr Victor Villalobos said Guyana is one of two countries in the American hemisphere with the greatest potential in agricultural production.
He made the remarks during a recent lecture titled “Emerging issues in agriculture” at the University of Guyana.
Dr Villalobos, a Mexican national with a doctorate from the University of Alberta, Canada, explained that agriculture, at this moment of human history, is experiencing a transition towards a new paradigm.
He indicated that population growth and higher standards of living are creating a greater demand for food, but warned that mankind cannot continue to produce agricultural goods at the high environmental cost of the past.
Referring to the green revolution which took place in the second half of the 20th century, he recognised its importance but pointed out that it mainly favoured the production of grains in flat and large fields with highly mechanised procedures and the production of fewer and selected varieties.
The new paradigm in agriculture has to overcome those limitations and include a social component that will translate in greater incentives to develop the countryside, ensure biodiversity and protect the environment.
Standards of living and quality of life in the countryside should be at least as high as those of the cities.
He said today, about one billion people suffer from hunger and the world’s population will experience an increase of two billion more people in the next 40 years.
New challenges
Crop and livestock production face new challenges in the global scene that include not only recurrent economic and social crises, but also environment degradation and climate change.
“Therefore, we have to be able to become more efficient, more resilient, ensure sustainability and develop more inclusive forms of production,” he said.
Referring to the regions of the world, he pointed out that Europe has practically reached its potential for food production under the present state of scientific and technological development. Asia and Africa have the possibility to increase their production but are experiencing high population growth and face various social, political, and economic difficulties that could take a generation to overcome.
“Latin America, therefore, is the only region with the capacity to respond immediately to the new demands. Five countries of the region are among the richest in biodiversity in the planet and therefore important in terms of food security.
“They are endowed with a rich genetic base that holds hidden treasures to discover. Our continent has 24 percent of the world’s forests, which are vital for ensuring the availability of fresh water. Not surprisingly, we hold 36 percent of the reservoirs of fresh water of the globe. And two countries of our region, Paraguay (particularly the Chaco region) and Guyana have abundant water resources and a considerable extension of land that has not been agriculturally developed.”
Rapid growth
Agricultural production has been growing faster than other sectors in the recent past, reaching more than 11 percent in some years, but needs to satisfy some important needs and overcome some serious problems. Dr Villalobos referred to some of those needs, such as developing greater knowledge and technology.
Unfortunately, he said, when “we experience economic crisis, budgets for research and education suffer cuts, which affects the development of our human resources. We need better markets to benefit from an increased production, and that includes means of transportation and fair access to world markets, which would translate in higher standards of living for all.”
Dr Villalobos said this is the best time for agriculture development in world history and this opportunity should not be lost. IICA is here to work at the regional level to help overcome the problems and foster development, he said, as he announced a joint Mexico/IICA scholarship programme that will yearly offer the opportunity for Guyanese students to take their knowledge and skills to a new level.
