Fmr IICA DG endorses Guyana’s Muhammad Ibrahim to head organisation

– says Ibrahim’s election would be valuable not only for the Caribbean, but for entire Americas

Former Director General of IICA and former senator of Barbados, Chelston Brathwaite has endorsed Guyana’s agricultural engineer, Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim as the ideal candidate to lead the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) especially at a time when agricultural activity is facing difficult challenges in the Western Hemisphere and globally.

“The election of Ibrahim would be very valuable not only for the Caribbean, but for the entire Americas. He has extensive experience in management and leadership in areas such as agricultural research, science and innovation, livestock systems, agribusiness and sustainable agriculture. He is very well qualified for the position and I am sure he would do a very positive job for the entire hemisphere,” Brathwaite who was head of the hemispheric organization between 2002 and 2010.
The new Director General of IICA—who will succeed Argentina’s Manuel Otero—will be elected on November 4, 2025 in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, by the ministers of agriculture of the Americas.
Ibrahim, who was nominated by the Government of Guyana and has the support of all the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as well as several others in the Americas, is a distinguished agronomist with more than 35 years of experience in international management dedicated to promoting productivity and resilience in the agricultural sector in the Americas.
He holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources with an emphasis on Animal Nutrition and a doctorate in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with a specialization in Livestock, the latter from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, one of the world’s leading institutions in agricultural research.
“Food security is a very important issue today for the countries of the Americas. We must place particular emphasis on food quality, because nutrition affects the health of our populations. It is also crucial to ensure not only the availability of food, but also access to it for all. I am convinced that Muhammad Ibrahim can be the best leader to promote greater cooperation between countries on these issues,” Brathwaite noted.

Experience and knowledge
Brathwaite, who will travel to Brasilia to support Ibrahim’s candidacy, emphasized that the world today is experiencing times of geopolitical change. “We are seeing a new scenario around the world,” he said, “which means that relations between the countries of the Caribbean and Latin America, and between our nations and the rest of the world, will take on a different form in the next decade.
“I am convinced that Ibrahim will bring the experience and knowledge necessary to help us address that reality.” Brathwaite referred to other challenges facing agriculture, such as population growth, more frequent extreme weather events, and greater consumer demands, and argued that these challenges require increased production, productivity, and sustainability in agriculture.
“We need to be able,” he said, “to create the right environment for a new agriculture that takes into account the new technologies available to increase production and attract greater investment. The agricultural sector is at a crossroads in meeting these demands. In the Caribbean, for example, we are looking for new sources of food. “
“I will go to Brazil confident that Muhammad Ibrahim will be elected to the position and will work to unite the hemisphere in joint efforts in favor of modern agriculture for everyone on the continent,” he concluded.
Back in June, Guyana nominated Dr. Ibrahim to be the next Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, this candidacy presents an opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to work together to further develop agriculture in the region.
The Guyanese Head of State made these remarks on a Spanish news outlet Agencia EFE.
“This candidacy, which is from Guyana and also Caribbean and South American, like our country, is an invitation to work together for the agricultural development of Guyana and the Caribbean,” Ali was quoted by EFE as saying.