Caribbean Outlook 3: Economic recovery and repositioning in the era of COVID-19. Policy Brief

The economies of the subregion were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those dependent on tourism. As a result, the Caribbean has seen a reversal of the hard-won gains achieved in growing their economies and reducing unemployment and inequality. The inflation stemming from pandemic supply chain disruption, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has made the sustained uptick in economic performance beyond pre-pandemic levels unlikely, notwithstanding strong growth estimates for 2021 and 2022. The last two years have taught the region that continued ‘business as usual’ is…

Upgrading value chains through professional and supporting services: Lessons from three agro-industry chains in El Salvador and Guatemala

There is an increasing acknowledgement of the key role of services for technological upgrading and increasing value added in manufacturing and primary goods value chains. Over the past two decades, Central American countries have experienced significant export growth. Yet exports have not been an engine of sustained economic growth and employment generation. Agro-industry exports, in particular, frequently incorporate only scant domestic value, with limited or no industrial transformation at all. This paper aims at studying the role of professional and supporting services in increasing domesti…

Digital Transformation as a Coping Strategy To Deal With The Fallout From The Pandemic In The Caribbean

Caribbean economies have been disrupted by the pandemic and the fallout from the war in Ukraine. Therefore, in the short to medium-term, there is need for policies to deal with post-pandemic recovery, including strengthened health and safety protocols, social protection measures and managed economic reopening to stimulate growth and employment.…

CEPAL destaca oportunidades de cooperación agrícola entre China y América Latina y el Caribe

(10 de junio, 2013) "En el área agrícola hay complementariedades reales entre China y América Latina y el Caribe, que pueden permitir la construcción de una relación comercial, tecnológica y cultural de carácter estratégica, con beneficios mutuos", dijo Antonio Prado, Secretario Ejecutivo Adjunto de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), en el Primer Foro de Ministros de Agricultura China-América Latina y el Caribe finalizado el 9 de junio en Beijing, China. En su discurso ante los funcionarios presentes en la cita, Prado subrayó la necesidad de lograr relaciones comerc…

The main drivers of arabica coffee prices in Latin America

This paper analyzes the determinants of arabica green coffee prices in Latin American countries using a time series analysis and panel data methods. For this purpose, we construct a panel of different coffee prices: Coffee Organization (ICO) composite prices for Brazilian Naturals, Colombian Milds, and Other Milds; prices paid by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC) to coffee growers; and farm gate prices by country. The results show that the Brazilian Real to USD real exchange rate, inflation, and rain in January affect prices positively. In contrast, green coffee inventorie…

Policy Brief: Policy actions to facilitate upgrading of the agricultural sector in Trinidad and Tobago

For many countries, the acceleration of integration into the global economy and multilateral trading system provides an opportunity to access a wider range of goods and services as well as export markets, increasing their economic incomes, and improving the welfare of the citizenry. In particular, preferential trade agreements tend to increase export market access opportunities for the agro-industrial products of developing countries. While increased market access offers many opportunities for enhancing the economic growth of exporting countries, developing countries are often unable to seize…

CEPAL inicia diagnóstico de oportunidades de crecimiento para el sector agrícola de Ñuble

La visita exploratoria incluyó reuniones con GORE Ñuble, CORFO, INDAP, INIA y cooperativas locales para identificar brechas y oportunidades en el desarrollo agrícola regional, sentando las bases para un plan de trabajo integral.…

The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A Perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2011-2012

Just as the world economy was showing signs of a recovery, a new global recession and a financial crisis in Europe are looming on the horizon. The economies of the great majority of countries grew in 2010, albeit at different speeds. While growth in the most developed countries was sluggish and in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) averaged a little over 4%, the production of the developing economies rose by more than 6.5%, with China and India, the new engines of the world economy, leading the way. Paradoxically, the specter of recession has appeared when the global economy is also showing…

Final assessment report. Assessment of development account project 18/19 AG: Rural-urban linkages for inclusive development in Colombia

Information and communication technologies for agricultural development in Latin America: trends, barriers and policies

The present publication has been prepared to study the potential of ICTs to promote socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable agricultural development. In Latin America, social inclusion and environmental sustainability in agriculture are especially relevant issues, in light of the great structural heterogeneity within the sector and, more recently, the stepped-up pressures on natural resources resulting from the boom in international commodity markets. Yet, the adoption of ICTs in agriculture cannot be expected by itself to reduce production asymmetries and enhance social inclusion. …

A new generation of standards: implications for the Caribbean and Latin America

International trade in food products has expanded significantly during the past few decades. These products include fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, fish, live animals and meat, nuts, and spices. However, international trade of these products is subject to a huge array of standards and regulations imposing potentially large compliance costs to many developing country suppliers.Standards and regulations apply to both the products themselves and the processes by which they are processed, handled, packed, etc. and respond to health concerns, consumer preferences and strategic commercial…

Why is the Debate on Commodities so Crucial for Latin America?