In Summary
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) aspire to become the world's food basket.
With abundant land, water, and natural resources, LAC is the world's largest net exporter of agricultural products. However, it still needs enormous growth to meet the nutritional demands of an ever-growing global population. The sector needs greater and better financing, increased competitiveness, and improved efficiency while adapting to climate change and protecting the environment, all without neglecting small producers.
Challenges and Opportunities
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) hold one third of the world's drinking water and has a large amount of potentially arable land in addition to tremendous biodiversity. LAC is home to 34% of the world's flora and 27% of all mammals. The region has the means to become a global leader in agribusiness.
However, to achieve this it faces multiple challenges. It needs to increase competitiveness and access to water and improve efficiency, all within the context marked of climate change. Variations in rainfall patterns and droughts will put the region to the test. Agribusiness must also take small producers into account, integrating them in the value chain to achieve a fair balance between production and land use. The region needs comprehensive solutions that take multiple factors into account.
Our Commitment
In Latin America and the Caribbean, family businesses account for 80% of agricultural producers, 40% of production, and two thirds of agricultural employment. However, 14 million small producers are poor and the majority of them cannot access financing. We work with financial institutions, agricultural cooperatives, and anchor companies to expand access to financing, promote rural development, and integrate small producers in the value chain. IDB Invest makes a difference by betting on sustainable, competitive, and innovative business models. We seek investments that rely increasingly on renewable energies and improved water use. We promote fair workplaces that value inclusion and diversity.
Latest projects
Regional
Mexico
Peru
Argentina
Brazil
Ecuador
Peru
Regional
Peru
Chile
Publicaciones
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October 2022Digital Transformation of Agribusiness in Latin America and the Caribbean
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June 2022Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence Applications for Agribusiness
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September 2022Food Loss in the Agribusiness Sector: The Perspective of Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean
Guillermo leads the agribusiness team at IDB Invest. He joined the institution in 2019, and is responsible for the strategy, business plan, client management and structuring of transactions for the sector in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Before joining the IDB Group, he worked at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for almost 17 years, holding development and investment banking positions as Senior Investment Officer in the Department of Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services. and in that of Investments & Credit. During his time at IFC, Guillermo originated, structured and oversaw multiple corporate finance transactions, as well as equity and quasi-equity investments throughout the agribusiness value chain in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Guillermo holds a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from the Universidad del CEMA in Argentina, a master's degree in risk management from the University of New York in the United States and an undergraduate degree in public accounts from the Catholic University of Córdoba in Argentina.
Contact: gfoscarini@idbinvest.org