The day began at 8:00 in business formal attire. Our destination was the US Embassy in Quito Ecuador. After the routine double security screening, we met with Mr. Gene Philhower.
Mr. Philhower gave us an overview of agriculture in Ecuador. Ecuador has a tremendous amount of bio-diversity and could produce almost any crop. He explained that the country has two main growing regions: the coast and the highlands. Ecuador is making an effort to keep the rural areas vibrant and through such efforts has kept people from leaving the farms for the cities like in Peru. Such migration in Peru without established infrastructure has led to massive shanty towns.
The second speaker was Segundo Coello who spoke about “Environmental Issues and Challenges in Ecuador.” He represented Eco Biotec del Ecuador. He explained that Ecuador has five times as much territory in water as land because of coastal waters off its shoreline and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador is rich in bio-diversity, culture, ag production and tourism. He went on to explain how important Ecuador is to the world in the production of cacao, balsa wood and shrimp.
Our third speaker was Nan Thrive, who provided a talk on “Ecuador’s Political Climate.” She explained that there have been 20 constitutions since the country gained freedom in 1830. The last 3 presidents didn’t finish their 4 year terms before being removed from office. There is fragmentation based on geography and the perception of corruption. The current President is Rafael Correa. His foreign policy is based on: 1. Diversification of ties to foreign countries (including Iran and Russia), 2. Regional integration and, 3. Protect Ecuador’s sovereignty. The currency of Ecuador is the US dollar; this means the national economy is directly tied to the US economy.
The fourth speaker on the agenda was Donald Castillo, Undersecretary of Agriculture and his topic was “Leadership in Agriculture.” He explained that there are four main regions: 1. Amazon, 2. North Litoreal, 3. South Coast and, 4. Andean region. Mr. Castillo explained the current administrative structure and areas where they can improve. He explained how producers have to deal with middlemen who sell to the processor. The government has to step in to stabilize the situation by setting prices.
Finally, the fifth speaker was Luis Bakker Jr., Chairman of the Board of Pronaca. Pronaca is a $600 MM food company located in Ecuador. He gave us an overview of his company’s activities “Agriculture in Ecuador and its Socioeconomic Impact.” Ecuador is about the size of Colorado. It lags behind other South American countries in yield per hectare. About 2/3’s of the population live in cities and 88% of farms are less than 10 hectares. Pronaca was established with the following mission: Integrity, responsibility and solidarity. His company has been providing opportunities to small farmers.
Our guide Raquel then took the immaculately dressed class 39 to the Pacifico Restaurant for typical Ecuadorian cuisine.
After we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by our next speaker, Jascivan Carvalho who represented Conservation in Action. The Amazon is 5 MM sq. kilometers with 370 indigenous groups and 33 MM people. He explained that at the current pace of development, 80 -90% of the Amazon ecosystem will be destroyed by 2020. Deforestation in the Amazon causes 50,000 species per year to be lost. He showed a video about the problems deforestation is causing. The video shows the overuse of Glyphosate (Round Up) to clear ground for African Palms. His organization has set up a foundation to assist the five nationalities of this area to maintain their lands, customs and traditions.
Class 39 concluded the day with a formal reception at the home of US Ambassador to Ecuador, Heather M. Hodges. Also invited were the speakers of the day and other local dignitaries. After an evening of practicing our mingling skills, it was time to pack for our trip to the Amazon jungle the next day.
Class 39 would like to thank the following people for arranging a wonderful day:
• Andres Barahena, Admin and Marketing Assistant, USDA, FAS
• Donald Castillo, Under Secretary of Agriculture
• Andrew Chritten, Deputy Chief of Mission
• Henry Vega, Ag Specialist, USDA, FAS
Respectfully submitted, James (Jimmy) Stark (AKA Rick)
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