Latin America and the Caribbean Advance in Transforming Their Agrifood Systems with Strategic Support from FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will participate in the upcoming United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4), to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 28 July 2025. This global meeting will be a key platform for assessing the progress countries have made in transforming their agrifood systems since the first summit held in 2021.

The UNFSS, launched in 2021, is a multilateral platform aimed at accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2: Zero Hunger, through more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems. Since then, nine United Nations agencies in Latin America and the Caribbean, including FAO, have established a Coordination Hub to support countries in designing and implementing their National Roadmaps.

FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean has played a leading role from the outset, facilitating 138 national and independent dialogues that allowed countries to define their priorities and strategies. Currently, FAO provides direct technical assistance to seven countries: Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay. In 2025, it also began supporting Cuba in developing its roadmap.

In addition, FAO has contributed to the design of projects financed by the SDG Fund, securing the approval of two seed projects in Costa Rica and El Salvador, totaling USD 350,000, enabling these countries to advance their commitments to the 2030 Agenda.

Concrete Achievements in the Region with FAO Support

Over the past four years of joint work, FAO has supported governments across the region in key processes to transform their agri-food systems. This includes implementing public policies aimed at sustainability and inclusion, mobilizing financial resources, and providing technical assistance to strengthen food and nutrition security, as well as developing initiatives to improve resilience to climate change. The Organization has also supported the strengthening of family farming and promoted the development of more dynamic and sustainable urban markets.

With these advancements, FAO has consolidated its role as a strategic technical partner for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, providing expertise, coordinating actions, and generating evidence to support more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient agri-food systems.

The UNFSS+4 summit is an opportunity for countries to review their progress and renew their commitments to transforming their agri-food systems. In this context, FAO acts as a key partner to continue advancing towards achieving Zero Hunger in the region.