Muhammad Ibrahim, of Guyana, was elected Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) for the period 2026-2030.
The ministers of Agriculture of the Americas held the election by majority vote during the 23rd Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), IICA’s highest governing body. Organized by the Brazilian government and the hemispheric agency, the meeting is being held in Brasilia.
The winner competed against Fernando Mattos, candidate of Uruguay, who immediately congratulated the Director General-elect.
“We will work together with all countries of the Americas to forge a path of cooperation. I am honored and grateful to have been elected to lead this great institution. I recognize the commendable work carried out by Director General Manuel Otero”, stated Ibrahim upon accepting the position.
An agricultural engineer, Ibrahim possesses broad experience in international management, having dedicated 35 years to building networks to increase agricultural productivity and resilience in the Americas. He was proposed as head of IICA by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
The new Director General will take office on January 15 of next year, during a ceremony to be held at IICA Headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica. He will succeed Argentine veterinarian Manuel Otero, who has been at the helm of the Institute since 2018, given that he was reelected for the position in 2021.
