Latin America and the Caribbean is the world's largest net food-exporting region, producing food for nearly 1.3 billion people and sustaining over 100 million jobs, some 22.6 percent of regional employment, with family farming accounting for 81 percent of its 17.8 million agricultural holdings. The region has also made measurable progress: hunger fell to 4.8 percent in 2025, affecting an estimated 32 million people, down from 6.1 percent in 2020 - making Latin America and the Caribbean one of only two world regions recording sustained progress in reducing hunger in recent years- Yet progress has been uneven, with hunger reaching 16.6 percent in the Caribbean and 3.5 percent in South America, and healthy diets remain out of reach for many. 

Our work in the region is guided by four Regional Priorities for the 2026-2027 biennium: efficient, inclusive and sustainable production; ending hunger and achieving food security and nutrition; sustainable management of natural resources and climate adaptation; and reducing inequalities and poverty while promoting resilience. Private sector partners are central to advancing all four, from investing in sustainable production to financing the value chain improvements that make healthy diets more affordable. 

FAO welcomes engagement with the private sector to strengthen sustainable and inclusive value chains, expand access to innovation, technology and finance, and connect small-scale producers, women, youth and Indigenous Peoples to markets. Guided by the FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement 2026-2030. These partnerships contribute directly to the eradication of hunger and all forms of malnutrition in the region.