Private sector regional consultation provided key inputs for FAO’s LARC 39

Representatives of the private sector from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the Private Sector Regional Consultation, an online dialogue space held as part of the preparatory process for the 39th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC 39). 

During the opening of the event, Pablo Rabczuk, Senior Programme Officer and Secretary of the Regional Conference, highlighted the central role of the private sector in agrifood systems, and also noted that, in recent years, FAO has strengthened its engagement with the private sector through formal agreements and the implementation of its Private Sector Engagement Strategy.

In this context, the regional consultation enabled the collection of inputs, the identification of challenges and the formulation of recommendations from the private sector, as a key stakeholder in the region’s agrifood systems, contributing to the process of defining regional priorities. 

The agenda included a dialogue between FAO and private sector representatives, during which FAO officials presented the main results of the previous biennium and outlined the proposed regional priorities for the 2026–2027 period. 

This was followed by a private sector coordination session focused on defining specific contributions, drafting a private sector statement, and identifying representatives who participated on behalf of the sector during LARC 39. This session was participatory in nature and coordinated by private sector representatives themselves. 

Through this consultation process, FAO reaffirmed its commitment to a participatory, inclusive and multisectoral approach, strengthening dialogue with diverse stakeholders and contributing to the collective development of solutions to advance more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.