#FAOListens: More than 1,500 stakeholders define priorities for the agrifood agenda of Latin America and the Caribbean

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded this week the cycle of preparatory pre-consultations for the 39th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC39). This participatory process gathered perspectives, proposals and recommendations from multiple sectors across the region to define priorities in food and agriculture for the 2026–2027 biennium. 

The process concluded with the Consultation with Civil Society Organizations, held in person on 28 and 29 January in Brasília. More than 50 representatives of family and peasant farming organizations, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, fishers, pastoralists and consumers discussed progress from the previous biennium and reached consensus on strategic recommendations to be presented to Member States during LARC39. 

As a main outcome, civil society organizations prepared a Regional Declaration to be presented at the Regional Conference and selected five spokespersons and five observers who will participate in the LARC39 sessions, ensuring that the voices of these sectors are represented in regional decision-making spaces. 

A participatory and diverse process 

The pre-consultations were one of the pillars of the LARC39 preparatory process. In total, eight regional dialogue instances were held, bringing together nearly 1,500 participants from across Latin America and the Caribbean, including governments, civil society organizations, youth, Indigenous Peoples, academia, the private sector, parliaments and specialized agencies. 

These instances included the Dialogue with Strategic Partners; Subregional Youth Consultative Dialogues; the Dialogue on Afro-descendants and Rurality; the Regional Technical Consultation; the Consultation with the Scientific and Academic Sector; the Regional Consultation with the Private Sector; the Youth Forum for the Transformation of Agrifood Systems; and, finally, the Consultation with Civil Society Organizations. 

This process ensured that the LARC39 agenda is built with an inclusive approach, considering the concrete realities, challenges and priorities of territories, and strengthening the legitimacy and representativeness of the decisions to be discussed at the Regional Conference. 

The FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean is the region’s main political and technical forum where Member States assess progress, identify gaps and agree on concrete actions on food and agriculture. It brings together Heads of State, Ministers of Agriculture and other key sectors, as well as United Nations system agencies, the Holy See, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, parliamentarians and observers. 

The 39th Regional Conference will be held in Brazil, reflecting the region’s political commitment to advance the eradication of hunger and malnutrition through an integrated approach. The meeting will take place in two segments: the Senior Officers Meeting on 2–3 March, and the Ministerial Meeting from 4 to 6 March 2026.