World Bank Reports on the Agrifood Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean

Recently Published World Bank Reports on the Agrifood Sector of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

The Agrifood Sector is a fundamental economic and social pillar of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Region. Primary agriculture contributes roughly 7% of the region's GDP, but the broader agrifood sector (from farm to fork) about ¼ of the GDP of countries. The Agrifood Sector employs about one-third of all workers in many LAC countries.

As the world's largest net food-exporting region, LAC's agrifood sector is critical for employment, global and domestic food security, and inclusive economic development. In this context, the World Bank's AgriConnect initiative targets a transformation of the agrifood sector, in particular of family farmers, through foundational investments, policy reforms, and capital mobilization. The publications below - covering these themes provide evidence-based insights aligned with AgriConnect's pillars.

Together, they inform how targeted public investments, improved policies, and innovative financing can boost productivity, create jobs, attract private investment, and build a more resilient, inclusive agrifood system across LAC, directly supporting AgriConnect's mission of "growing food, growing jobs."

Sustainable agriculture

Synthesis of Economic Results of Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forest Systems in Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado Biomes (English). World Bank. Brasília and Washington DC.

The adoption of sustainable agricultural systems in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes is globally relevant due to the massive production of staple commodities. The report synthesizes the economic results of integrated crop-livestock-forest systems, showing that these systems improve productivity and profitability while reforesting degraded areas.

Methane emissions from livestock production. Case study: Paraíba State Sustainable Rural Development Project.

This study evaluates how best management practices and improved dairy productivity can reduce methane emissions in Paraíba's semi-arid region. Using IPCC 2019 methodologies and data from rural properties and cooperative business plans, it estimates that maintaining and expanding these practices could avoid about 588 tons of CH₄ over five years, cutting emissions by up to 23.3% compared to a baseline scenario.

Rural Transformation and Diversification in Amazônia. Chapter 5 in: Hanusch, Marek, ed. A Balancing Act for Brazil's Amazonian States - An Economic Memorandum, pp. 181-217. International Development in Focus. Washington DC: World Bank.

This chapter outlines how to foster productivity increases, protect forests through governance, develop sustainable rural livelihoods, and marshal conservation finance to simultaneously raise living standards and preserve the Amazon.

Agriculture Trade and Market Access

International Prices and Food Security: An Analysis of Food and Fertilizer Price Transmission in Central America.

This report explores the dynamics between domestic food security in Central America and global price inflation. It analyzes the extent of pass-through of international food and fertilizer prices to domestic markets, assesses the impacts on household expenditure and income, and the effectiveness of government responses.

Market Structure and Efficiency in Agricultural Value Chains: Deep Dives in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic

The report takes a context-specific approach to analyzing market structures and dynamics that may contribute to price distortions in two country-commodity pairs: white maize in El Salvador, and bananas in the Dominican Republic. It builds on prior analysis of food price transmission to recommend policy and institutional actions to improve efficiency and fairness in agrifood markets.

Agrifood Systems in Northern Central America: Agrologistics for Modern Family Farms

This report explores the agrologistics challenges and opportunities faced by agri-food systems in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, with a specific focus on family farming systems. It adopts the GRID (Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development) framework to recommend investments in infrastructure, information and innovation that boost productivity, reduce waste and improve market access.

Can Smallholder Farmers in Honduras and Guatemala Export Deforestation-Free Coffee to the European Union? FAO and World Bank. Rome and Washington DC.

Examines the new European Union Deforestation Regulation and its implications for smallholder coffee producers in Guatemala and Honduras. Assesses overlap of coffee areas with forest cover, deforestation drivers, and suggests how cooperatives and certification schemes can enable small farmers to meet legal and deforestation-free requirements.

A review of policy responses in Latin America and the Caribbean to the global food price crises of 2008, 2011 and 2022

This World Bank review examines how Latin America and the Caribbean responded to the food price crises of 2008, 2011, and 2022, noting a heavy reliance on broad subsidies-especially fuel subsidies-with high fiscal costs and limited targeting. The 2022 crisis triggered a surge in policy measures, many lacking clear exit strategies. The report calls for stronger social protection systems and agri-food infrastructure to better support vulnerable populations and build long-term resilience.

Food and Nutrition Security

Building Resilience in Aruba's Food Security During the Pandemic and Beyond

A strong agriculture sector and food security system can diversify the economy of Aruba and strengthen capacity to manage risks from shocks such as COVID-19. The assessment recommends a commercial-scale food business expansion alongside widespread micro-scale residential production using climate-smart techniques.

Prospective studies

Future FOODSCAPES: Re-imagining Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean

This visioning exercise considers alternative futures for agrifood systems in LAC. It imagines how varying levels of technology adoption, climate change, policy interventions, and demand shifts could shape sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems in the region.

Last Updated: Dec 23, 2025