Report launch: The key role of trade in strengthening food security in Latin America and the Caribbean

Recent events such as the war in Ukraine and the El Niño weather cycle have demonstrated how shocks triggering changes in production and distribution of food in one country or region can reverberate around the world, eroding food security for millions if not billions. Efficient, agile, and diverse trade networks can help countries and suppliers to cope with these shocks and strengthen food security. These networks are especially relevant for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). While it is the world’s largest net food exporting region, it has lately struggled with increasing hunger and multiple forms of malnutrition.

To combat these problems and promote healthy diets across LAC, a new report, Food Security and Agrifood Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean, produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and IFPRI, analyzes opportunities to increase intraregional food trade, promoting growth in the flow of food products among LAC countries. The report was launched at a November 28 virtual policy seminar exploring its implications for policymakers.