Latin America and the Caribbean presents $2.292 billion in agrifood investment opportunities at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum

Nine countries from Latin America and the Caribbean and two subregional initiatives are participating in the 2026 Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum, held as part of the World Food Forum organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to present agrifood investment opportunities totaling USD 2.292 billion.

From October 13 to 16, government delegations from Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Mexico will be in Rome, Italy, presenting their programs to investors from around the world.

The investment opportunities, identified and designed using advanced data and analysis provided by FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, aim to strengthen agrifood systems, stimulate rural economies, and generate better opportunities across territories.

The proposals include investments in value chains linked to coffee, cocoa, livestock, honey, Amazonian fruits and camelids, as well as in infrastructure development, logistics, storage, access to water, soil management, digital connectivity, traceability, and climate risk management.

This year’s regional portfolio reflects a diversification of investment opportunities and an evolution toward integrated territorial portfolios designed to address the needs of prioritized territories and improve the livelihoods of rural producers.

Subregional initiatives promote the Amazonian bioeconomy and climate resilience

The 2026 edition of the Investment Forum featured the presentation of the Amazonian bioeconomy program, developed in collaboration with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). The proposal aims to mobilize USD 29.3 million in investment to establish 100 digital ecosystems and implement traceability technology for non-timber forest products.

The program will be implemented in selected territories across the eight countries of the Amazon region: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the program for the Dry Corridor and Arid Zones of the Central American Integration System (SICA) is returning to the Investment Forum with a portfolio valued at USD 216.7 million, focused on strengthening climate resilience and adaptation.

The proposals seek strategic resources for agricultural climate risk zoning, digital soil mapping, digital ecosystems for rural micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), integrated water solutions, agricultural innovation systems, and sustainable mechanisms for market access.

About the Hand-in-Hand Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean

Hand-in-Hand is a flagship FAO initiative that supports countries in identifying agrifood investment opportunities to improve incomes, nutrition and well-being in territories facing high levels of hunger and poverty.

Currently, 85 countries and seven subregional initiatives worldwide use geospatial, biophysical, and socioeconomic data and analysis to design investment strategies tailored to the needs of each territory.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the initiative involves 16 countries and three subregional initiatives focused on the Amazon, the Dry Corridor and Arid Zones, and the Caribbean Small Island Developing States. The region has developed more than 85 investment cases and mobilized USD 1.75 billion between 2022 and 2024.