Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

LAC agrifood markets have been undergoing a transformation mainly since the Uruguay Round. This transformation gave rise to the Agreement on Agriculture of the WTO, the globalization process and the deepening of economic integration, as well as intra and extra regional integration. Thus, the LAC countries are involved in multiple trade negotiation processes at the same time, each with its own challenges and benefits.

Although the LAC countries joined the WTO, which helped to increase their participation in world agricultural trade, their capacities to participate effectively in negotiation and to implement trade agreements are generally dissimilar. Governments often lack the resources and institutional capacities to undertake the necessary reforms to fulfill their obligations and implement measures that would enable the agricultural sector to take better advantage of the opportunities generated by international integration.

In this context, the Network of Experts was established based on the experience FAO, the IDB and the IICA. The network aims to bring together specialists who conduct research, carry out training programmes and advise governments and the private sector on issues related to agricultural trade and trade policy, including regional and multilateral trade agreements.

The main activity of the network is to facilitate the generation and exchange of knowledge and to ensure that solutions are identified that will lead to a more equitable distribution of the benefits of greater trade openness.