Latin American and Caribbean leaders highlight progress and challenges in eradicating hunger at the World Food Forum 2026

Leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the opening of the World Food Forum 2026, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where they highlighted their countries' progress in the fight against hunger and emphasized the need to strengthen public policies, investment and international cooperation to ensure access to adequate food.

During the event, held at FAO headquarters in Rome under the theme "Innovate Today to Nourish Tomorrow", representatives from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Peru, Venezuela and Ecuador shared their national experiences and priorities for advancing towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

The interventions underscored the importance of combining technological innovation with social protection policies, support for family farming, financing and climate change adaptation. They also highlighted the role of international cooperation and multilateralism in addressing global food security challenges.

Against a backdrop in which approximately 645 million people experienced hunger worldwide in 2025, the region's representatives stressed that increasing food production must go hand in hand with measures to improve access to, availability and quality of food, particularly among the most vulnerable populations.

Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic

The President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, highlighted his country's progress in reducing hunger, noting that the prevalence of undernourishment fell below 2.5 percent in 2025, allowing the country to move off FAO's hunger map.

During his address, the President attributed these results to a combination of policies aimed at increasing domestic food production, improving household incomes and strengthening social protection mechanisms.

Among the achievements mentioned, he highlighted increased agricultural production, financial and technological support for small and medium-sized producers, and the expansion of school feeding programmes, which currently benefit more than 2.2 million students.

Abinader also emphasized the coordinated work of public institutions through the Zero Hunger Cabinet and thanked FAO for its support in national efforts to improve food security.

"Countries are not condemned to hunger. Public policies work, political will matters, and when institutions and society work together, results follow," he stated.

The President noted that the next challenges include improving access to healthy diets, combating malnutrition and strengthening the resilience of agricultural production to extreme climate events, particularly droughts.

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of Cuba

The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, highlighted the need to strengthen domestic food production, promote innovation and advance territorial solutions that contribute to improving food security and the resilience of agrifood systems.

In his address, he noted that international conflicts, climate change, economic crises and inequalities pose growing challenges to guaranteeing the human right to food, particularly in developing countries.

The President explained that Cuba is implementing transformations aimed at strengthening local food systems, expanding productive capacities and advancing the energy transition in the agrifood sector.

He also expressed appreciation for FAO's support, highlighting the mobilization of nearly USD 100 million to support national priorities through funding, technical assistance and capacity development.

Díaz-Canel reaffirmed Cuba's commitment to the Hand-in-Hand Initiative and highlighted the presentation of two new investment projects linked to the coffee and honey value chains, sectors that offer opportunities for rural development, job creation and stronger livelihoods for producer families.

The President also underscored the importance of international cooperation in mobilizing resources, sharing knowledge and building partnerships to advance towards more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

Keiko Fujimori, President of Peru

The President of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, highlighted the need to combine ancestral agricultural knowledge with science, innovation and new technologies to strengthen food security and address the impacts of climate change.

During her virtual address, she placed particular emphasis on the risks associated with the El Niño phenomenon and the importance of shifting from reactive emergency responses to preventive policies that protect crops, water resources and the livelihoods of rural families in a timely manner.

The President outlined five priorities for transforming the agricultural sector: ensuring water security, strengthening family farming, harnessing science and innovation, recognizing the leadership of rural women and expanding opportunities for younger generations.

Among the national commitments mentioned were the goal of reducing childhood anaemia from 40 percent to 20 percent by 2031, as well as ensuring that 50 percent of the food used in social programmes is sourced directly from local producers.

Fujimori also emphasized the importance of expanding smallholder farmers' access to financing, technical assistance, technology, agricultural insurance and infrastructure, while recognizing the role of women and young people in transforming agrifood systems.

The President reaffirmed Peru's commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation to connect scientific knowledge, development financing and the protection of the most vulnerable populations.

Delcy Rodríguez Gómez, Acting President of Venezuela

The Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez Gómez, highlighted the importance of guaranteeing the right to food through inclusive public policies, productive investment, technological innovation and international cooperation.

During her address, she presented the progress that, according to her remarks, Venezuela has made in reducing undernourishment and restoring its food production and supply capacities.

Rodríguez announced the "Venezuela Alimenta" plan, an initiative aimed at coordinating production processes and strengthening national policies to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger.

She also highlighted the role of social protection and school feeding programmes, noting that the latter provides daily nutritional support to more than 2.5 million children in public schools.

The Acting President called for a new phase of agrifood transformation based on legal certainty, investment, science, technology and the sustainable use of natural resources.

She also underscored the importance of reducing food loss and waste, strengthening early warning systems and expanding financing for agricultural adaptation to climate change.

Regarding international cooperation, she reaffirmed Venezuela's willingness to work with FAO and other multilateral organizations to strengthen its productive capacities and advance towards the eradication of hunger before 2030.

María José Pinto, Vice President of Ecuador

The Vice President of Ecuador, María José Pinto, highlighted the potential of her country's agricultural, fisheries and aquaculture diversity to drive economic development, generate investment opportunities and improve people's living conditions.

During her address, she emphasized the importance of products such as cocoa, bananas, shrimp, tuna and tropical fruits, as well as the need to sustainably harness biodiversity and the productive capacities of different territories.

Pinto noted that Ecuador is promoting initiatives to strengthen innovation, technical assistance and access to international markets, with particular attention to small-scale producers and younger generations.

In this context, she highlighted the AgroJoven initiative, which aims to promote young people's participation in the agricultural sector and expand their development opportunities through access to knowledge, technology and new productive skills.

The Vice President also addressed the importance of linking economic growth with human development, highlighting the prevention of chronic child malnutrition as a national priority.

Her intervention underscored the need to strengthen partnerships between the public sector, the private sector and other stakeholders to promote investments that contribute to both productive development and improved nutrition.