The Honduran government has formally put forward its candidate for the role of Director General at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), announcing the nomination of Laura Suazo, who currently serves as Honduras’s Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock.
This declaration was made by Honduran Foreign Minister Javier Bu Soto during a press briefing in Tegucigalpa, where he conveyed the official nomination to IICA through an official letter. IICA issued a press release stating that the announcement was made in the presence of members of the diplomatic community accredited to Honduras.
Laura Suazo is notably the first woman to hold the position of Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock in Honduras, bringing with her extensive experience in advancing the country’s agricultural sector. The official correspondence to IICA highlighted her professional background and contributions.
According to the press release, Suazo is an agricultural engineer by training, and further specialized in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the Escuela Agrícola Panamericana, also known as El Zamorano. She holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Education and Rural Sociology from Louisiana State University in the United States. Additionally, she earned her PhD in Agricultural Extension, with a focus on International Agriculture and Environmental Sociology, from Cornell University in New York.
Her early career included an internship at IICA’s headquarters in Costa Rica, where she gained valuable insights into the agency’s work in agricultural and rural development.
In her role within the Honduran government, Suazo spearheaded the formulation and execution of the 2023-2043 State Policy for the Agriculture Sector of Honduras (PESAH). This comprehensive policy encompasses initiatives aimed at knowledge management, strengthening institutions, providing inclusive financing options, enhancing agricultural commercialization, and improving logistics.
She also initiated a municipal agricultural extension program across 100 municipalities within the Central American Dry Corridor, aiming to bolster local agricultural development. IICA shares that among her notable initiatives are the Coffee Bonus, Productive Technological Bonus, and Livestock Bonus programs, which collectively benefit over 600,000 small-scale farmers and producers across Honduras.
The selection of the new Director General of IICA will be decided by the ministers of Agriculture from the 34 member nations of the Americas. The decision will be made during the upcoming meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA) scheduled for November, which serves as the primary governing body of the agency.
Source - https://dominicanewsonline.com
