Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean present advances in climate adaptation in agriculture

The annual meeting of the region's Platform for Climate Action in Agriculture (PLACA) was attended by eleven high-level representatives of agriculture and livestock in Latin America and the Caribbean. This platform enables agreement and prioritization of regional actions to strengthen capacities for productive agricultural development that is adapted to the effects of climate change and is resilient and low in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The meeting was organized with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the mechanism's secretariat, and the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development of Mexico (SADER), the host.

Mexico presented the main results of its management -which concluded during the meeting- with programming in line with the needs that its 16 members highlighted during the 2023 assembly. In addition, they prioritized initiatives that support the strengthening of the capacities of the secretariats and ministries of agriculture of the region for adaptation and mitigation of climate change in the agricultural sector. 

"In our region, we share many similarities, but the ways of facing climate challenges may vary. This diversity allows PLACA to transcend, ensuring accessibility to resources and equal rights for all. It is essential that technology transfer and capacity building reach all the countries of the region, adapting to the specific needs and priorities of each," said Dr. Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of Mexico. 

"No one is exempt from the impact of climate change. It is not a future challenge but a present and urgent one that requires collective action. I reaffirm our commitment to continue working to achieve more resilient, efficient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems as a central axis for the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda," said Mario Lubetkin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In addition, under the chairmanship of Mexico, the technical capacities of the ministries of agriculture have been strengthened, and the exchange of experiences in agro-climatic roundtables, sustainable soil management, and climate change, and the sustainable and efficient use of water have been promoted. These actions have received strategic support from FAO, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Global Water Partnership (GWP), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). 

The Assembly highlighted PLACA's membership in the FAST (Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation) Alliance, which aims to catalyze and accelerate the transformation of agriculture and food systems by 2030 to benefit people, climate, and nature. 

One of PLACA's main activities is offering online courses, through which more than 1,200 technicians from the region's ministries and secretariats have been trained in topics related to rural extension and climate change, adaptation to climate change in the agricultural sector, agriculture in climate change negotiations, and monitoring and evaluation for adaptation measures.

FAO's Climate Finance Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, María Mercedes Proaño, said: "It is essential to implement actions to adapt to climate change, as well as to care for use and restore biodiversity to ensure ecosystem services linked to food production, crops, fisheries, livestock, and forestry to advance in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals".

At the meeting, Guatemala assumed the new presidency for 2024-2025, in the hands of the country's Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, Maynor Estrada, and the Guatemalan Ambassador to Mexico, Marco Tulio Chicas Sosa. Peru also received the co-presidency, with the participation of the Vice-Minister of Family Agriculture and Agrarian Infrastructure and Irrigation, Iván Ramos Pastor.