Humanity faces unprecedented challenges in food security. Rising demands for food, driven by a growing global population, contrast with the threats of climate change and disruptions to supply chains. These tensions have highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated global approach to guarantee access to food. Latin America can be part of the solution.
In this critical scenario, the Latin American region is emerging as a fundamental pillar in the fight against food shortages, thanks to its agricultural potential, its natural resources and its strategic position in international trade.
Álvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), an organization dependent on the United Nations, explains that Latin America has some peculiarities to face this situation. For example, remember that there are “ecosystems that have protection against rising waters” or that, in recent years, reforestation projects have been carried out that help “small farmers to continue receiving income,” among other things.
Boosts to the local economy
The head of IFAD, who has just participated in the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), recalls that this summit has not only addressed “the different types of solutions”, but also “issues about financing”, especially in those most vulnerable countries, among which would be some in the region.
“We have to see how we can make a just transition so that people also benefit from both the energy transition and the transition of food systems so that they are more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” says Lario, aware that for his organization “it is very important that, at the Climate Summit, we talk precisely about financing, because for many of the people who live in rural areas, that (land) is their livelihood.”
For this reason, he insists that, “if that livelihood ends, they are obviously forced to look for other solutions,” among which would be forced migrations.
“It is not always easy to find access to a job in a city or to change countries,” he emphasizes.
He also considers that “we must try to promote local production” with the aim that “people receive a fair income.”
An evolving global food crisis
The figures, he warns, are alarming. In 2022, almost 900 million people were severely food insecure and the projections are not encouraging. According to United Nations estimates, the world population will reach 10 billion by 2050 and to meet this growing demand, global food production will need to increase by 60%.
However, ensuring food in sufficient quantities could be very difficult in a relatively short time.
Climate change has become an unavoidable obstacle. The reduction of arable land and extreme weather events have significantly reduced agricultural production capacity. In fact, due to climate disruptions, global food production is expected to grow 8% less than expected, and fruit and vegetable yields could decline by up to 6%.
These impacts exacerbate an already existing problem: the struggle to balance the supply and demand of nutritious foods on a planet with increasingly limited resources.
Latin America: a global agricultural power
In the midst of this crisis, Latin America stands out as one of the regions with the greatest potential to face the food challenges of the future. Currently, the region represents approximately 25% of global exports of agricultural and fishery products, consolidating itself as an agro-industrial superpower. By comparison, Asia, another key agricultural region, exports just 6% of its total production.
The abundance of natural resources is one of the main factors that favor Latin America: with only 15% of the planet’s land surface, the region receives 29% of global rainfall and has 33% of the world’s renewable resources. , also storing 40% of the world’s fresh water.
These data, together with a workforce of more than 300 million people, position Latin America as a key supplier in a world that demands nutritious food in increasing quantities.
According to estimates based on the region’s historical growth, by 2050, Latin America could supply between two and three out of every five fruits and vegetables globally. Mexico, for example, already exports more than 60% of its agricultural production to the United States, becoming a strategic partner for one of the largest economies in the world.
A key factor in Latin America’s strategic position is its geopolitical neutrality. Unlike other regions, most Latin American countries are not exclusively linked to a global power, which allows them to maintain diversified trade relations.
This gives them a significant advantage in a world increasingly fragmented by conflicts and trade disputes. According to researcher Mauricio Cárdenas, Latin America is “a safe and reliable partner, without interest or capacity to start international wars.”
In addition to IFAD, other international organizations, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Development Bank of Latin America or the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), also lead financing and development initiatives for promote projects that mitigate the effects of climate change and boost the economy.
“One of the pillars is productivity, it is about addressing how we improve the productivity of these countries, how we improve the infrastructure in a sustainable way in these countries, how we improve the trade flows of these countries and how we attract investments,” he says. For his part, Tomás Bermúdez, manager of Central America, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Haiti at the IDB.
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