Smallholder farmers in developing countries around the world face numerous barriers to increasing their agricultural productivity and escaping the cycle of poverty and food insecurity. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 247.8 million people or 37.4% of the population are food insecure, which means that people are in a situation where they do not always have physical or economic access to enough safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for a healthy life.
The agri-food sector is critical for achieving various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as zero hunger (SDG2) and poverty eradication (SDG1), as well as those related to environmental sustainability and equity (FAO). Therefore, it needs to increase its productive capacity to feed a growing population sustainably and inclusively, providing the quantity and variety of foods necessary for a nutritious diet.
Climate change is a risk to public and private finances. 2023 was (for now) the warmest year on record, reaching 1.4°C above pre-industrial level. With El Niño raging strong the region grappled with unusually strong droughts, forest fires, hurricanes, and massive floodings with disastrous consequences. At first glance, these events can bring important loss of lives and material wealth to affected regions.
One of the main priorities of the Inter-American Development Bank is to combat food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean, which today affects almost 40% of the region's population (FAO, 2023). To achieve this, it is essential to implement interventions and promote policies based on evidence and knowledge, with a multisectoral approach and that cover the agri-food system.
Savoring a sweet papaya or watching a couple of toucans across lush hills, it's easy to appreciate the gifts of nature that sustain our lives. Plants and animals form ecosystems that provide us with clean water, nutritious food, breathable air, fertile soil, and awe-inspiring beauty that makes life more joyful. Latin America and the Caribbean harbor a treasure trove of biodiversity, with rare species found nowhere else on Earth.
More than half of the population of Haiti suffers from food and nutritional insecurity. To address this challenge, in April 2018 the Haitian Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MARNDR) launched the Program for Technological Innovation in Agriculture and Agroforestry (PITAG), which will run until September 2024.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, countries have been left with unprecedented rising debt levels, higher interest rates and diminished growth projections. Even though public funds are constrained, countries have agreed to ambitious targets to protect and conserve 30% of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as well as continue to fulfill their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Climate catastrophes are devastating lives and economies at an alarming pace. This year is the hottest on record, at 1.4°C above preindustrial levels. Combined with a strong El Niño, global warming brought devastating heat waves, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes. Against this dire backdrop, the UN reminds global leaders that pledges to curb emissions remain “critically insufficient” to meet globally agreed temperature limits. But while industrialized nations have overwhelmingly dominated cumulative pollution, Latin American and Caribbean countries are invited to reduce emissions too.
Agriculture has various negative impacts on the environment. For example, to increase production extensive forest areas are converted into cultivation zones. Deforestation leads to the loss of critical ecosystem services such as air, water, and biodiversity. In Latin America, agriculture significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through land-use changes. The indiscriminate use of water for crops has resulted in overexploitation, decreasing water levels in rivers and aquifers.
2023 has once again witnessed the devastating effects of climate change on the planet, with global temperatures hitting record highs and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe. At this COP 28, what agreements and results does the Amazonia expect?