The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) launched a campaign to express appreciation to and recognize the work of farmers and food chain workers who, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, guarantee food production, transportation, commercialization and supply in countries throughout the Americas.
The initiative brings together the work of renowned artists from various countries throughout the hemisphere.
The campaign represents an unprecedented continental effort to prioritize farming through art and culture. It also contributes to further disseminating the results achieved through technical cooperation of excellence, which, given the current circumstances, is more necessary than ever.
“Within the context of the current pandemic, great artists are joining IICA, and IICA is joining great artists in paying a well-deserved and necessary tribute to the people who continue working to put food on our tables. This is a mass round of applause, an expression of gratitude, through songs that also comfort our souls at a time when we are experiencing great fear and pain,” explained the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero.
In that sense, the initiative seeks to contribute to channeling greater political and social attention to those who keep the agro-industrial chain running, as well as farmers who guarantee our food supply at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging the world.
The campaign is also tied to one of IICA’s permanent objectives: to foster the prioritization of agriculture as well as greater recognition of the importance of rural areas, whose development and well-being play a key role in resolving or mitigating some of the greatest issues facing the contemporary world, such as the uncontrolled growth of cities, migration away from rural areas, the negative impacts of climate change, as well as the challenge of guaranteeing food and nutritional security for the entire population.
Singer-songwriter León Gieco is the first artist to contribute to the campaign.
IICA will publish the contributions of artists participating in the campaign on all of its digital platforms as well as those of any partners that join the initiative. The following hashtags will be used on social networking sites:
#GRACIAS
#HEROESYHEROINAS
#PORLOSALIMENTOSENNUESTRAMESA
#OBRIGADO #OBRIGADA
#HERÓISEHEROÍNAS
#PORALIMENTOSEMNOSSASMESAS
