The 7th EU–LAC Agri-Food Dialogue, organised by AL-INVEST Verde In collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the event brought together representatives from European and Latin American institutions to strengthen bi-regional cooperation on the sustainability of agri-food systems. The meeting, held in Brussels, continued the process of political and technical dialogue initiated at previous events, establishing itself as a strategic forum for the exchange of experiences and the development of common agendas between the two regions.
The opening session was attended by Elisabetta Siracusa, Director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI); Sibelle de Andrade, special adviser to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; and Muhammad Ibrahim, Director-General of IICA, who emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean in order to accelerate the transition towards more resilient, sustainable and inclusive agri-food models.
During the meeting, the main conclusions of the agri-food dialogues held to date were presented, highlighting the lessons learnt and the progress made in key areas for the sector’s sustainability. The need to continue promoting forums for exchange that enable a response to the environmental, economic and social challenges facing agri-food supply chains in both regions was also emphasised.
One of the highlights of the day was the speech by Sophie Primot, from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Associations (DG INTPA), who presented initiatives aimed at improving access to and understanding of the constantly evolving European regulations, highlighting the role of support tools such as AGRINFO to help agri-food stakeholders adapt to the new regulatory frameworks.
The technical forum addressed three priority areas for advancing the sustainable transition of agri-food systems. With regard to sustainable livestock farming, representatives from the European Commission and the Global Roundtable on Sustainable Meat discussed opportunities to promote more efficient and responsible production models. In the field of efficient water management in agriculture, experts from DG AGRI and ECLAC discussed the need to improve governance and the sustainable use of water resources in the face of the effects of climate change. Meanwhile, the session devoted to the organic production It provided an opportunity to exchange experiences on regulation, institutional strengthening and the promotion of sustainable production systems, with the participation of the Inter-American Commission on Organic Agriculture (CIAO).
The session concluded with a discussion on the future prospects for bi-regional dialogue, led by representatives of the European Commission, who emphasised the need to maintain ongoing cooperation to promote public policies, regulatory frameworks and knowledge-sharing mechanisms that contribute to the sustainable transformation of agri-food systems. The closing ceremony was led by Diana Montero Melis, from DG INTPA, who reiterated the European Union’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean in this area.
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.