Virtual meeting 1000 Digital Villages in Latin America and the Caribbean

 

Background

In September 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support countries in promoting strategies to generate non-agricultural income that are linked to the characteristics of rural communities with competitive advantages in providing these types of tourism services, while seeking to take advantage of their tangible and non-tangible attributes. In addition, at the global level, FAO has defined one of its lines of work as providing support and assistance to countries to expand access and use of digital tools in agri-food systems and rural territories, which included the launch, in late 2020, of the 1000 Digital Villages programme.

In April 2021, our region launched this initiative based on on-going rural tourism experiences, promoting the marketing and sale of tourism services in coordination with other agri-food systems, and linked with rural tourism programmes and projects already in development.

1000 Digital Villages for Latin America and the Caribbean is focused on supporting the digital transformation of rural areas, representing a strategic opportunity to bring together those who share common interests and seek a space for connection. This initiative is the beginning of a process that will allow progress towards better forms of production and exchange in the vast and dynamic rural areas of the region.

There are currently 14 countries in the region participating in this initiative: Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Granada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Venezuela.

Objective

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has organized this virtual meeting to share the experiences gained during the first year of implementation of the 1000 Digital Villages in Latin America and the Caribbean initiative.

Participants

Representatives from government institutions, private companies, FAO officials, financial institutions, delegates from rural tourism experiences that are part of the 1000 Digital Villages in Latin America and the Caribbean initiative are expected to participate in this event.

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