A recent hemispheric forum organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) brought together government officials, international organization representatives, and agrifood sector experts to strategize on enhancing institutional frameworks and aligning public policies across Latin America and the Caribbean. The event emphasized three critical pillars for addressing the region’s agrifood challenges: effective governance, targeted public expenditure, and innovative green financing mechanisms. Participants explored scalable solutions and identified barriers to expanding and strengthening agrifood policies, culminating in actionable recommendations for more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful initiatives. A recurring theme was the necessity of platforms fostering dialogue and coordination among ministries, international agencies, private enterprises, and civil society to ensure good governance. Robust monitoring and evaluation systems were also highlighted as essential for transparency and accountability. Eugenio Díaz-Bonilla, IICA’s Special Advisor, stressed the importance of multi-year operational programs with clear objectives, funding sources, and monitoring mechanisms. Discussions on public investment underscored the need for strategic resource allocation toward sustainable productivity, innovation, and healthy diets. Carmine Paolo De Salvo of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) advocated for smart incentives like pre-planting assistance and price guarantees for small-scale farmers. Green financing discussions focused on establishing regulatory frameworks for green loans and subsidies, with participants emphasizing financial innovation to develop renewable energy financing and transparency platforms. Luis Rosa Pérez of CAF highlighted the role of renewable energy loans and transparency platforms in fostering accountability. The forum concluded with a commitment to advancing coordinated public policies in the agrifood sector, supported by IICA’s Public Policy Observatory for Agrifood Systems (OPSAa), which will document and analyze the discussed cases for future scalability and impact.
IICA discussion pinpoints aspects of governance, public investment, and environmental financing as essential for enhancing regional agricultural and food networks
