Regional Workshop: Strengthening agrifood trade in the region to enhance its role in sustainable development and food security

Introduction

In an increasingly fragmented, complex and conflict-ridden world, the concept of multilateralism is increasingly challenged. At the global level, collective actions by countries and regions with common interests are a particularly important external policy instrument.

These collective actions are more important and urgent at this time when the world is undergoing profound and possibly enduring geopolitical changes, including in the food sector. These changes are also having a direct impact on the political, social and trade relations of the region with the rest of the world. Multiple and successive crises unfolded during the 2019-2022 period, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of extreme climate events, as well as the war in Ukraine, which triggered increased hunger and severe food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), affecting 6.5% and 12.6% of the population, respectively by 2022. At the same time, the events prompted an increase in food prices, which soared to record levels in March 2022 (as measured by the Food Price Index of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO), and in inputs (fertilizers and energy). As such, by 2021, as a result of this situation, 22.7% of the population was unable to afford the cost of a healthy diet (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO 2023).

The objective of this workshop is to to incorporate strategic topics into the regional agenda with a view to enhancing the role of the region’s agrifood trade in sustainable development and food security.