The 6th EU-LAC Agri-Food Dialogue, organised by AL-INVEST Green in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), The analysis for the strengthening of the organ systems and promotion of more sustainable agri-food markets. The meeting, held virtually, gave continuity to the technical agenda initiated in previous dialogues, consolidating this space as a reference for bi-regional cooperation.

The opening was given by Emilio Calvo, director of AL-INVEST Green / Component 2, Elena Panichi, Head of Unit in DG AGRI of the European Commission, and Lloyd Day, IICA deputy director general, who stressed the importance of deepening collaboration between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean to respond to the growing global demand for organic products and the regulatory challenges associated with sustainability.

During the session, Graciela Lacaze, The Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture (ICOA), presented the main results of the 5th Dialogue held in Quito, Ecuador, underlining the need to advance the regulatory convergence, improving the systems of certification and control, and to promote the technological innovation in organic production.

The central panel addressed the priority elements for strengthening organic systems. Luis Carazo (DG AGRI) presented the progress of the European regulatory framework and the road map for the coming months, while Ivonne Diaz (Mexico) and Lucero Rodríguez Huertas (Colombia) shared national experiences in organic regulation and control. They also shared national experiences on organic regulation and control, Anselmo Méndez Álvarez (Veritas, Spain) analysed European market trends and opportunities for Latin American producers.

The session also included a space dedicated to innovation, with speeches by Alessandra Trinchera (CREA, Italy) and Natalia Curcio (CABIO, Argentina), who presented advances in bio-inputs and technologies applied to more productive and resilient organic systems, highlighting their potential to improve the competitiveness of producers in both regions.

In closing, Davide Bonechi, AL-INVEST Green / Component 2 senior programme manager, highlighted the importance of maintaining a continuous technical dialogue to promote sustainable value chains, facilitate the access to high-value markets and strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean in the agri-food sector.

About AL-INVEST Verde

AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union (EU) programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 2, led by FIAP in consortium with IILA, the programme provides assistance for strengthening public policies and multi-stakeholder dialogues on sustainable agricultural and value chains, environmental and labour standards, as well as sustainable trade and economic policy and regulatory frameworks.