The WBF’s Regional Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACRC) is a platform to discuss and coordinate activities related to topics and priority issues the region faces. These actions are focused on the social, economic, and environmental challenges such as the forthcoming legislations in shared responsibility, Fusarium wilt Tropical race 4, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, living wages and other relevant issues.

As a Regional Commission, it brings together key actors of the banana supply chain in Latin America and the Caribbean to support the transition into a new business model, considering the increased importance of shared responsibility, due diligence legislation and the Farm to Fork Strategy in the European Union, which will have direct repercussions on the operations of banana stakeholders in the LAC region. Likewise, the Regional Commission of Latin America will target issues such as the implementation of sustainability initiatives and the ability of stakeholders to cope with exogenous shocks facing the industry related to the banana price; the rising standards of Europe concerning workers’ rights and environmental standards and its tendency to increase the costs for sustainable banana production; and the achievement of a sustainable banana price and the manners in which it can be attained to achieve long-term sustainability and stability.

Objectives

1. As a neutral convener, create the basis for inclusive and open collaboration around the region, benefiting all banana industry stakeholders from Latin America and the Caribbean.

2. Enable an environment of information and understanding about regional issues, gathering efforts from World Banana Forum (WBF) members as well as from governments and banana industry stakeholders.

3. Delineate a proper methodology to define a fair price for banana boxes, which incorporates sustainable production costs and the definition of practical criteria to achieve it.

4. Promote transparency on costs and margins of sustainable production and trade among banana stakeholders and construct mechanisms that cover the costs identified for the transition.

5. Discuss the standardisation of measures and demands in the banana industry, depending on their national/regional regulations.

Activities

The LACRC hosted its inaugural webinar in July 2022, entitled "Requirements and Responsibilities of Producers, Distributors and Certifiers with Respect to Shared Responsibility and Due Diligence" in response to the numerous and diverse challenges faced by the Latin America and Caribbean banana industry. The webinar's objective was to recognize and address the unique concerns and sensitivities of the sector, as well as to highlight significant measures undertaken by regional and global stakeholders in resolving these issues. By uniting and committing to cooperation and communication, the Latin American and Caribbean banana industry's stakeholders can develop effective strategies to face the difficulties and enhance their operations' sustainability.

All stakeholders in the region are welcome to participate in the activities of the Commission. If you are interested in joining the Regional Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean, please contact Victor Prada at [email protected] and/or WBF Secretariat at [email protected].