Overview
The 14th InterAmerican Meeting at the Ministerial Level on Health and Agriculture brings together Ministers of Health, Agriculture, and related agencies from the 35 member states of the Organization of American States (OAS). Held in San Jos, Costa Rica from 1215 November 2024, the conference marks a milestone in regional cooperation, aiming to integrate health and agriculture policies to confront shared challenges such as nutrition insecurity, climate change, and emerging zoonotic diseases.
Building on the outcomes of the 13th Meeting (2022), this edition emphasizes a One Health framework, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. The meeting is cohosted by the Ministries of Health and Agriculture of Costa Rica, with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Agenda Highlights
- Day 1 Opening Plenary: Statements from the OAS SecretaryGeneral, PAHO Director, and Costa Rican President.
- Day 2 HealthAgriculture Nexus: Sessions on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance.
- Day 3 ClimateSmart Policies: Workshops on climateresilient crops, sustainable livestock, and earlywarning systems for vectorborne diseases.
- Day 4 Political Commitments: Adoption of the San Jos Declaration on Integrated Health and Agricultural Governance.
All sessions are recorded and will be accessible through the OAS digital library after the meeting.
Key Topics Discussed
1. NutritionSensitive Agriculture
Ministerial delegations examined policies that promote the production of micronutrientrich crops (e.g., biofortified beans, orangefleshed sweet potatoes). Case studies from Brazil and Guatemala demonstrated measurable reductions in anemia and stunting when nutrition goals are embedded in agricultural subsidies.
2. Food Safety & Zoonoses
Joint surveillance mechanisms were proposed to detect pathogens at the farmtofork continuum. Emphasis was placed on strengthening laboratory capacity in the Caribbean and Central America, where outbreaks of Salmonella and Listeria have risen sharply.
3. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Delegates endorsed a regional AMR action plan that aligns with the WHO Global Action Plan. Strategies include restricting prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock, promoting alternatives such as probiotics, and improving prescription oversight in rural clinics.
4. ClimateSmart Agriculture (CSA)
CSA practicesagroforestry, conservation agriculture, and droughttolerant varietieswere highlighted as essential for preserving food systems under increasing climate variability. The InterAmerican Development Bank pledged US$150million for CSA pilots in the Andes and the Gran Chaco region.
5. Digital Innovation
Emerging technologies, including satellitebased crop monitoring and mobile health (mHealth) platforms, were discussed as tools to bridge data gaps between health and agriculture ministries.
Expected Outcomes
- San Jos Declaration: A political commitment to adopt integrated monitoring systems for nutrition, food safety, and AMR.
- Regional Action Plans: Each member state will submit a 3year national roadmap aligning health and agriculture objectives.
- Funding Mechanism: Creation of a joint OASFAO healthagriculture fund to support pilot projects and capacitybuilding.
- Knowledge Exchange Network: A virtual platform for sharing best practices, research data, and policy briefs across ministries.
- Monitoring & Evaluation Framework: Adoption of indicators such as percentage of households with access to biofortified foods and incidence of zoonotic disease outbreaks per 100000 population.
Participation and Stakeholder Engagement
Beyond ministers, the meeting welcomed:
- Representatives from Indigenous peoples and smallholder farmer organizations.
- Technical experts from PAHO, FAO, the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the World Bank.
- Researchers from leading universities in the Americas.
- Privatesector partners focusing on sustainable agribusiness and foodtechnology innovation.
Interactive roundtables allowed civil society to voice concerns about land rights, gender equity in agriculture, and the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.
References
1. Organization of American States (2024). 14th InterAmerican Meeting on Health and Agriculture Official Report. OAS Publications.
2. Pan American Health Organization (2024). One Health: Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health in the Americas. PAHO Press.
3. Food and Agriculture Organization (2023). ClimateSmart Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean. FAO Technical Paper.
4. World Health Organization (2022). Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. WHO Guidelines.
5. InterAmerican Development Bank (2024). Financing Sustainable Agriculture Projects. IDB Working Paper.
