Berlin, Germany, 22 January 2024 (IICA) – Prestigious German scientist, Joachim von Braun, has been named a Goodwill Ambassador for the Bioeconomy and Sustainable Development by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), in recognition of his global efforts to create more sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems and to build bridges between Latin America and the rest of the world.
He was conferred with the title by IICA Director General, Manuel Otero, in a ceremony in Berlin, with the presence of various Latin American ministers of Agriculture lending even greater importance to the proceedings.
The ceremony for von Braun took place at the residence of Argentina’s Ambassador to Germany, Fernando Brun.
IICA officials and the Latin American ministers are currently in the capital of Germany attending the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), an important conference on agricultural policy that has brought together approximately 200 senior officials from across the world.
The ceremony was also attended by Argentina’s Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Fernando Vilella; Brazil’s Minister of Agricultural Development and Family Farming, Paulo Teixeira; the Paraguayan Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Giménez; Uruguay’s Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Fernando Mattos and the Director for America, Africa and Asia at Germany’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Hans-Peter Lampen. The Minister of Agriculture of Rwanda, Ildephonse Musafiri, was also present.
Von Braun is a Professor for Economic and Technological Change at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) of Bonn University in Germany. Between 2020 and 2021, he served as Chair of the Scientific Group of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, convened by the UN Secretary-General. In that capacity, he led a team of 50 renowned researchers from various countries, whose efforts focused on promoting transformation to create more sustainable, inclusive and equitable science-based agrifood systems.
His fields of research range from economic development and agriculture, nutrition and food to bioeconomy, environmental sciences, and scientific and technological policies. Von Braun is President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences of the Vatican and is also a member of the National German Academy of Sciences Lepoldina, the German Academy of Engineering, the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy for Sciences and the Arts, the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the African Academy of Sciences.
He serves as an advisor to various national and international organizations and has been awarded with distinctions and honors in several countries.
He has also authored more than 250 scientific publications.
The role of the bioeconomy
In thanking the organization for the distinction, von Braun remarked that, “I commend IICA for recognizing the importance of the bioeconomy for the future of humanity and our planet. The balance between economic growth, environmental conservation and social concerns are at the heart of the concept of bioeconomy. With the commitment of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, the three G20 countries in Latin America, we have a magnificent opportunity to drive the bioeconomy agenda at the global level”.
Fernando Vilella revealed that, “This is my first trip as a government official and I believe it is very significant, that it is to Germany, in the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt, which have led us today to Joachim von Braun. I am extremely honored to attend this IICA event, as it is a very important institution in the hemisphere that has provided great impetus and drive for the concept of the bioeconomy throughout the Americas”.
He then went on to explain that, “The concept of bioeconomy that we as the Government of Argentina have decided to incorporate into what has been traditionally defined as Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, includes a broad cross-section of ideas that are anything but traditional. That reflects the role that we would like Argentina to play in the world, based on its traditional functions as a provider of food security, but adopting an environmentally friendly production system that has a low environmental footprint”.
Otero also maintained that the world is at a critical juncture, reflecting that, “It seems that we have finally recognized that business as usual is no longer an option for the coming decades. If we would like an opportunity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must effectively tackle the climate crisis”.
Thus, he insisted that, “It is therefore imperative that we ensure greater development in the field of the bioeconomy. More than 50 nations, including the European Union countries, the United States and China, have already made significant headway in the bioeconomy and much of this has been due to the efforts of Joachim. In appointing him an IICA Goodwill Ambassador, we are not merely recognizing his achievements, but also his perspective on the world, which we need to tackle the current challenges”.
Fernando Brun, Argentina’s Ambassador to Germany, indicated that, “Our region is assuming a responsibility, and when I say ‘our region’, I mean not only the Mercosur region represented here today, but also the Inter-American system, the Americas, as well as the African system, because I am speaking about a Southern global agenda. We are assuming the responsibility to occupy our rightful place and to contribute to the empowerment process that countries like Germany are driving to strengthen an international system based on shared principles and rules”.
Brun also stressed that, “The international system must function and in this respect must have no borders. We must recognize that we have to work together. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture has done everything possible to be present here as a global actor. I am delighted to witness the impact and depth of the debate that IICA has spurred. On this, its first time participating in this global forum, it has clearly established itself as a key player from here onwards. Welcome Doctor Manuel Otero. Welcome to Berlin and please consider the Argentinian residence here as your home”.
On the other hand, Lampen declared that, “The German Federal Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, has asked me to convey his warmest regards and, in particular, to extend warm congratulations to Professor von Braun for this honor. We are extremely proud that it is being awarded on the occasion of the GFFA, paving the way for the next steps in our cooperation. The Minister would also like me to express his desire to intensify our cooperation and exchange efforts with IICA, especially with respect to the future of the bioeconomy, hopefully drawing on the knowledge of Professor von Braun, your tremendous experience and the work of my colleagues”.
IICA’s Goodwill Ambassadors share the Institute’s commitment to work towards sustainable and equitable development, agreeing to embrace the challenge of lending their support to causes that seek to raise public awareness about the importance of food and nutritional security. They also work to support development through projects related to the bioeconomy, gender and youth relations, as well as responsible production, which are all key issues on IICA’s agenda.
The cadre of IICA Goodwill Ambassadors includes: Enrique Iglesias (former Ibero-American Secretary-General and ex-President of the Inter-American Development Bank, IDB); Maris Llorens (livestock entrepreneur and philanthropist); Keithlin Caroo (Founder and Executive Director of Helen’s Daughters); Hipólito Mejía Domínguez (former President of the Dominican Republic); Rattan Lal (2020 World Food Prize laureate); Michael Kremer (winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics); Hugo Sigman (Argentinian psychiatrist, business magnate and founder of Grupo Insud); Beatriz Paredes (Mexican senator); Jens Mesa Dishington (agricultural economist and modernizing force behind the Colombian agriculture sector); Susana Balbo (Argentina’s first female oenologist, who has been operating her own winery, Susana Balbo Wines, since 1999); and Dennis McClung (Founder, President and Executive Director of Garden Pool).
The 2006 World Food Prize laureate and former Minister of Agriculture of Brazil, Alysson Paolinelli, who died last year, was also an IICA Goodwill Ambassador.
About IICA
IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture in the Inter-American system, with a mission to encourage, promote and support its 34 Member States in their efforts to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being through international technical cooperation of excellence.
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