The Inter-American Development Bank approved a $125 million loan to help Argentina strengthen its agricultural health services and enhance the sustainability of its marine resources. The program aims to bolster pest control to safeguard the country’s zoo-sanitary and phytosanitary assets, expand the diagnostic capacity of plant and animal health laboratories, and support research on the resources in the country’s oceans.

The loan will strengthen the work of the National Service for Agro-Food Health and Quality (SENASA) and the National Institute for Fishery Research and Development (INIDEP), two agencies that play a pivotal role in the country’s growth as a food supplier.

The vast scale of Argentina’s territory, the diversity of its ecosystems, the length of the land and river borders it shares with five countries, and the volume of its agricultural trade raise the risk of disease and pest infestations and pose considerable challenges for maintaining the health of the country’s plants and animals.

The program will strengthen SENASA’s infrastructure to improve its disease prevention and phytosanitary and zoo-sanitary protection capabilities. The loan will benefit over one million private-sector parties in the agricultural industry, such as primary agricultural producers, industrial establishments, service providers, logistics and transportation firms, and members of the different agro-food chains.

Meanwhile, climate change is triggering significant problems in marine ecosystems, like receding ice, acidification, increasingly extreme weather events, and shifts in the biodiversity and distribution of species. This program aims to mitigate the potentially negative effects of these changes on fisheries.

The program will therefore enhance the INIDEP’s capabilities for oceanographic research on fisheries and marine resources. It will also finance the construction of laboratories and office buildings in coastal provinces to enhance coordination with private fishing outfits and other institutions. Finally, it will provide the resources for funding and building a modern vessel that is fully equipped for oceanographic research.

By strengthening fishery research capabilities, the program is expected to directly benefit over 5,000 operators in the fishing industry, primarily fishers, scientists, technicians, researchers and ship owners.