IICA Heritage

Growth of the Institute

When the OAS was created in 1948, IICA became the specialized agency for agriculture of the Inter-American System, consolidating its work by extending its action to every country in the hemisphere. (This task was completed in the 1990s, when Bahamas joined as a member.) By 1964, 21 Member States of the OAS joined IICA.

During the 1970s, IICA carried out a number of specialized multinational programs as part of its strategy of hemispheric and humanist projection. In this period, specific, direct research and education activities were separated from those of a more general nature. This separation was achieved with the establishment of the Tropical Agriculture Research and Education Center (CATIE), in 1973, under the CATIE Contract between the Government of Costa Rica and IICA, which was approved by all the member countries.

A new Convention on IICA was adopted in 1979, redefining the Institute’s objectives, adjusting its cooperation actions with the member countries, and creating the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA) as its new governing body. The organization was also renamed, becoming the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. By that time, membership had climbed to 29 Member States.

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