Dr. Irfaan Ali: A Powerful Force Uniting Global Leaders to Revolutionize Latin America's Food and Environmental Security
President Dr. Irfaan Ali is among a distinguished group of experts collaborating to develop a roadmap for advancing food and nutritional security, environmental sustainability, and energy security in Latin America. This initiative, spearheaded by Columbia University and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), aims to reshape the global narrative around the value of agriculture in the region for the next 30 years. The project comes in the face of growing global challenges, including population growth, political conflicts, and climate crises.
Jeffrey Shaman, Interim Dean of Columbia’s Climate School; Mohammed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; and Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA
At Columbia University’s Forum in New York, experts from various sectors gathered to discuss a new roadmap, with the goal of positioning Latin America as a global provider of innovative solutions to food and environmental challenges. They explored strategies for strengthening agri-food systems while ensuring sustainability and resilience in the face of climate change. Key participants included Manuel Otero (IICA), Jeffrey Shaman (Columbia’s Climate School), and Cynthia Rosenzweig (NASA GISS), alongside prominent leaders from the private and academic sectors.
President Ali highlighted the need for a new vision that integrates biodiversity preservation, youth, and women as key contributors to agricultural transformation. He emphasized moving beyond traditional agricultural models toward a more inclusive and sustainable future. This new narrative aims to align agricultural production with environmental preservation, reflecting the growing importance of innovation, technology, and global policy change in the agri-food sector.
The discussions will continue to shape policy and practice in the lead-up to COP 29 in Azerbaijan and COP 30 in Brazil, as Latin America strives to showcase its critical role in global food security and environmental stewardship.