CONTRIBUTION OF THE IICA TO THE WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE REGARDING THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE 2013 BALI MINISTERIAL DECISION ON GENERAL SERVICES

Communication by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

The following communication, dated 20 November 2025, is being circulated at the request of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), pursuant to a request made by the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the IICA, in response to the interest expressed by Members in the Committee on Agriculture to examine whether the 2013 Bali Ministerial Decision (WT/MIN (13)/37; WT/L/912) has been effective in promoting the launch or implementation of General Services programmes, particularly by developing Members, in topics such as land reform and rural livelihood security, as described in the Decision.

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1  INSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND

1.1.  In March 2010, the WTO Committee on Agriculture granted the IICA ad hoc observer status in its regular meetings. Since June 2012, the IICA has been operating a WTO Reference Centre, which provides technical advisory services on issues related to agricultural trade to individuals from government, business and academic sectors who are interested in improving their technical capacities in relation to those issues. It should also be noted that the IICA has had ad hoc observer status to the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures since 1999.

1.2.  The Network of Agricultural Negotiators in Geneva for Latin American countries was formally launched in June 2023, the purpose of which is to serve as a bridge and create informal dialogue spaces with countries of the region. In December 2023, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the IICA and the WTO to further strengthen joint technical cooperation activities on agri‑food trade issues that are of great interest to both institutions and their member countries.

2  Initiatives linked to General Services programmes related to agrarian reform and rural livelihood security

2.1.  Between 2014 and 2025, the IICA contributed to the following initiatives linked to rural development and poverty alleviation in the countries of the Americas, specifically with regard to:

2.1.1  Land restoration, 11 initiatives have been identified linked to projects to restore soil, improve agricultural and forestry production, and build the resilience of producers through sustainable technologies and technical training, including in the areas of:

(a)_ Soil remediation and sustainable production: Collaboration with the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) and the Institute for Agricultural Development (INDAP) in Chile to produce biofertilizers and rehabilitate degraded soils.

(b)_ Agroforestry systems and technological innovation:

-_      Implementation of multi-strategic systems, efficient irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and planting of 7,000 trees in El Salvador in the Central American Dry Corridor.

-_      Farmer field schools and demonstration plots to build the knowledge of producers in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

(c)_  Support for affected families and resilient production: Training for 30 families in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to rebuild livelihoods after the 2021 volcanic eruptions.

(d)_ Environmentally friendly technology: Focused on introducing hydroponics, rehabilitating pineapple crops, and establishing mangrove nurseries with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and local organizations in Antigua and Barbuda.

2.1.2  With regard to soil conservation and resource management, 77 initiatives have been identified, classified into four broad categories:

(a)_ Water management

-_     Support for the Government of Brazil to improve the planning, integrated management and monitoring of water resources.

-_     Installation of rainwater harvesting and micro-irrigation systems in various Caribbean countries, including Grenada.

-_     Technical training on efficient water use, watershed management, modern and low-cost irrigation systems, and water storage and quality control in the Caribbean.

-_     Increasing the availability of water for consumption, family farming and small producers in countries, such as Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

(b)_ Climate adaptation and resilience

-_     Promoting climate smart agriculture in the Dominican Republic and Caribbean countries.

-_     Introducing and validating technologies to address droughts and temperature changes in the Southern Region countries.

-_     Developing methodologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, reduce emissions from rice cultivation, and use digital technology to manage climate risks, specifically in Caribbean countries, including Dominica, and other countries, such as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

-_     Undertaking regional projects in Central America to improve the resilience of family farmers, rural communities, coffee farmers, livestock farmers, and market farmers.

(c)_  Sustainable production and food security

-_     Support for producers of coffee, cocoa, rice, bananas, quinoa, vegetables, and other crops, in connection with good agronomic and agro-ecological practices, reducing waste, and safety, post-harvest handling, and value added, in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, and Peru.

-_     Introducing greenhouses, aquaponics, protected systems and sustainable agriculture in the Caribbean, primarily in Trinidad and Tobago.

-_     Specific actions to improve food security in vulnerable communities in the Caribbean and Central America.

(d)_ Capacity building and technical assistance

-_     Training for farmers, technical experts, extension workers and government officials on soil management, biological inputs, water management, climate adaptation, natural resource governance, and using digital platforms and monitoring systems, in Central America, the Caribbean, and the Andean and Southern Regions.

-_     Developing demonstration models, pilot plots and experience sharing in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

2.1.3  With regard to managing drought and flooding, 34 initiatives have been identified that are linked to activities to strengthen climate resilience, food security, and agriculture sector adaptability in various Latin American and Caribbean countries, with the support of the IICA and other international organizations, covering the following categories:

(a)_ Climate change adaptation and the sustainable management of resources

-_     Implementing technologies to improve water management, including water harvesting, irrigation systems, micro-irrigation, and rainwater harvesting in countries including Ecuador, and other countries in the Andean Region and Central America.

-_     Introducing new varieties of drought-resistant crops, such as potato clones, in the Andean Region.

-_     Undertaking studies and analysis to characterize droughts and water-related risks in countries such as Uruguay, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Chile.

-_     Promoting sustainable agriculture practices, the circular economy, and climate smart agriculture in the Southern Region countries

(b)_ Risk management and disaster resilience

-_     Training on the preparation and use of agroclimatic risk maps for public and private officials in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana.

-_     Creating and strengthening early warning systems, such as that for coffee rust in Central America.

-_     Drawing up natural disaster risk reduction, response and recovery plans for countries including El Salvador, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

-_     Implementing tools to measure hurricane resilience in the Caribbean.

(c)_  Productive recovery after extreme events

-_     Providing inputs, seeds, machinery, and technical support after hurricanes, storms, and floods in countries including, inter alia, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Jamaica, Brazil, and Suriname.

-_     Restoring productive systems and providing support for affected Indigenous, rural and agricultural communities, such as those in Panama, El Salvador, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

(d)_ Capacity building and technical assistance

-_     Training producers and technical experts on climate resilience, digital agriculture, agroforestry systems, bofedal management, rural entrepreneurship, composting, and water management in the Caribbean.

-_     Implementing agrometeorological networks in and transferring efficient irrigation technologies to the Andean Region and the Caribbean.

(e)_ Support for family farming

-_     Financing, socio-productive inclusion, and risk management programmes to improve incomes and productivity in the Andean and Southern Regions, and Central America.

-_     Specific projects for vulnerable farming families, promoting adaptation and sustainable practices in countries including Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.

(f)_  Featured flagship projects

-_     Project to Enhance Resilience of Communities to the Adverse Effects of Climate Change on Food Security (FORECCSA) (Ecuador): resilience building in 120 parishes.

-_     AGRO-INNOVA (Central American Dry Corridor): 1,700 beneficiary producers, 1,426 hectares under agroforestry management.

-_     Bofedal es vida (Bofedal is life) (Andes): conservation of bofedales and training provided to more than 1,400 people.

-_     Post-disaster support (Caribbean and Central America): humanitarian aid, seeds, fertilizers, infrastructure, and training.

2.1.4  With regard to rural employment programmes, 24 initiatives have been identified related to projects led by the IICA and its partners. These initiatives seek to improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of family farming, promote social inclusion, and strengthen the rural economy by combining technical assistance, technological innovation, training, and market access. In particular, they seek to:

(a)_ Boost incomes and productivity

-_     Families and producers increased their incomes by improving production and marketing processes, agricultural diversification, and adopting innovative technologies (e.g. coffee, cocoa, vegetables, bricks, tomatoes, and bell peppers) in countries including Argentina, Costa Rica and Saint Lucia.

-_     Agri-business and associative marketing were promoted in countries including Panama and Peru.

(b)_ Promote environmental sustainability and the efficient use of resources

-_     Reducing biomass use and CO₂ emissions in certain Latin American countries.

-_     Adopting eco-stoves, and solid waste management and protected agriculture (greenhouses and low-cost seeds) approaches in countries of the Andean and Southern Regions.

(c)_  Build the capacities of rural producers, women, and youth, linked to the preparation of manuals, business plans, and production improvement programmes (e.g. MEJOR, agri‑business internships) in El Salvador and Belize.

(d)_ Foster social inclusion and empowerment: specifically in support of associations and networks of women and youth; and community education and participation programmes (e.g. community gardens, handicrafts, agri-tourism) in El Salvador and Guatemala.

(e)_ Improve marketing and market access by creating collection and marketing centres; and implementing family farming stamps and strategies to access national and international markets in Caribbean countries such as Saint Kitts and Nevis.

(f)_  Promote strategic projects and those that have a regional impact, including, inter alia, the Central American Strategy for Rural Territorial Development (ECADERT), Fund for Sustainable Access to Thermal Renewable Energy (FASERT), Bono Cafetalero (coffee voucher), and Regional Agricultural Marketing Centre (CERCA), that help thousands of families and producers; and the development of national and territorial plans for cocoa, avocado, coffee, and agri-tourism, focusing on sustainability and competitiveness in Central America.

2.1.5  In connection with the issuance of property titles, six initiatives have been identified linked to actions aimed at strengthening land governance and legal security in rural areas, as well as improving territorial administration systems. Key initiatives include:

-_     Support for the National Agrarian Registry (RAN), Secretariat of Agrarian, Land and Urban Development (SEDATU) (Mexico) to streamline agricultural document management and modernize the national rural land registry.

-_     Boosting responsible land governance through the development of innovative tools for regularization, rural credit, and agricultural regulation, especially in Brazil.

-_     IICA technical and operative cooperation to implement programmes that promote social inclusion, reduce rural poverty, and foster sustainable economic and environmental development in Antigua and Barbuda.

-_     Support for the Network of Rural Women Producers, facilitating the acquisition of a plot of land for an agro-processing plant, and managing funding for infrastructure and training in Antigua and Barbuda.

-_     Joint efforts with the Government of Mexico to implement four programmes to regularize and register agricultural legal documents, ensuring certainty in land tenure and better access to government programmes.

2.1.6  In relation to farmer settlement programmes, five initiatives have been identified in which the IICA, in partnership with various international organizations, has provided technical support:

-_     Capacity building for rural actors and support for land development processes in several countries, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. A new land management methodology, based on localized agri-food systems, was implemented in conjunction with the Centre for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD) of France.

-_     The second phase of the ECADERT support programme (2014-2017), financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Spain-Central American Integration System (SICA) Fund, the Executive Secretariat of the Central American Agricultural Council (SECAC), and the IICA, focused on furthering institutional consolidation, capacity-building, and executing 17 projects in rural areas of six Central American countries.

-_     Under the partnership between IICA and the World Food Programme (WFP), a comprehensive rural extension model was implemented in Guatemala, helping 8,000 producers to improve their agricultural practices.

-_     In Colombia, under the Nuevos Territorios de Paz (New Territories of Peace) programme, the IICA developed two projects aimed at reducing socio-economic vulnerability and designing a land management model, funded by the European Union.

-_     Lastly, in Honduras, the IICA supported the presidential programme, "Producción para el Bienestar" (Production for Well-being), which provides direct economic incentives to small producers.

3  TRADE AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITHIN THE INSTITUTE

3.1.  The Americas account for close to 30% of global agri-food exports, and Latin America and the Caribbean for around 17%, combining as it does major exporters and net importing countries. In this context, it is essential to promote free, transparent and science-based trade to ensure global and regional food security. This requires policies that facilitate trade and strengthen the multilateral system, in which forums such as the WTO Ministerial Conference serve as key spaces for the discussion of regulations that have a direct impact on agriculture and food security.

3.2.  The actions of the IICA within the WTO will be framed by the IICA Directorate of Technical Cooperation, which will be responsible for following up on this initiative. The implementation of the initiative will promote knowledge management and support the work carried out under the IICA International Trade and Regional Integration Program through its action lines on trade policy and market access, and trade promotion and business internationalization, as well as coordination through technical cooperation services and the mobilization of relevant resources for inter-American agriculture, in accordance with the IICA Medium-term Plan 2022-2025.

3.3.  In recent years, the IICA International Trade and Regional Integration Program has focused specifically on processes to build technical trade policy and market access capacities; providing direct technical support to those responsible for formulating public trade policies; and developing strategic partnerships with key partners.

3.4.  In addition, the IICA has other technical cooperation programmes linked to these issues, namely Territorial Development and Family Farming, and Resilient Agriculture.

3.5.  The IICA has a network of well-qualified experts in agriculture and international trade based at its central headquarters, at its offices in 34 member countries in the Americas, and at its Permanent Office for Europe, in Spain.

3.6.  It should be noted that, while this document compiles valuable information related to initiatives under General Services programmes, this does not mean that there may be many other actions that are not being envisioned and that the Bali Decision does not explicitly consider to be mandatory.

3.7.  For more information, please contact:

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