<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The governments of Spain and Ecuador signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this Thursday to promote family farming as a driver of rural development and a guarantee of territorial cohesion and risk management on farms, especially in light of the effects of climate change.</strong></h4> The agreement was signed in Madrid by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, and the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador, Danilo Palacios. According to Planas, this MOU is an example of the "shared desire to promote innovation, the sustainability of the agricultural sector, and rural development, through concrete actions that benefit both regions and our farmers, ranchers, and fishermen." According to the Ministry, the agreement will result in technical cooperation actions and the exchange of experiences. "The signing of this memorandum is a very important step forward in relations between Spain and Ecuador," stated Planas. "Ecuador has great potential to increase its agri-food production," he added. Among the established areas of cooperation are support for family farming, as a driver of rural development and a guarantee of territorial cohesion, and risk management on farms, especially in light of the effects of climate change. In this last area, Spain will contribute its experience through its national agricultural insurance system, consolidated after more than four decades of operation. The agreement includes a commitment to institutional support for the design of an insurance system. Other priority areas of cooperation are also included, including the exchange of knowledge on production models, the management of plant and animal genetic resources, organic certification, and the sustainable use of fertilizers and pesticides. Likewise, collaboration is contemplated in the efficient management of water resources, with special attention to irrigated agriculture and new technologies, as well as the promotion of agricultural associations and the promotion of agri-food products. Planas expressed his confidence that this agreement, which enters into force upon signing, "will lay the foundations for sustained collaboration over time" and become "a highly valuable alliance that will further strengthen our relations, based on the deep historical, cultural, and commercial ties that firmly unite Spain and Ecuador."
