Panama City 4 July 2024 – The Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Committee of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO) has taken a crucial step by approving a Model Law on the Promotion of Agroecology, an innovative legislative framework that promotes sustainable and resilient agricultural practices in Latin America and the Caribbean. This legislation, developed in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), represents a significant advancement towards food security and sustainable development in the region. 

The Model Law project was developed with technical support and active collaboration from FAO, following a formal request from PARLATINO in 2022. It was based on the publication “Legislate to promote agroecology in the Latin America and Caribbean region,” prepared by FAO in 2021 with support from AECID. The drafting process included three public consultations in the subregions of the Caribbean, Mesoamerica and South America, with the participation of parliamentarians, civil society representatives, academia, social movements and international organizations. According to PARLATINO President Rolando González, these consultations were crucial to ensuring that the law reflects the specific realities and needs of each country and region. 

The formulation and advancement of the Agroecology Model Law highlights PARLATINO’s commitment to strengthening existing legal frameworks and creating new instruments to promote better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life. This effort fosters food security in Latin America and the Caribbean, supports family farming, and drives the transformation of agrifood systems. 

Once approved by the Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Committee, the bill will advance to the general plenary of PARLATINO for final discussion and subsequent voting. The date for this session is yet to be confirmed. 

Model Laws and FAO 

Model Laws developed by PARLATINO have served as inspiration for the creation of advanced legislative regulations in its member countries. In collaboration with AECID and AMEXCID, FAO has provided significant support in the formulation of this and other PARLATINO Model Laws, as well as in the creation of multiple declarations and publications. Notable examples of this joint work include the Framework Law on the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty (2012), the Framework Law on School Feeding (2013), the Model Law on Family Farming (2016), and the Model Law on Climate Change and Food Security (2021). 

These significant achievements with Model Laws directly contribute to the recent Global Parliamentary Pact Against Hunger and Malnutrition, which was signed in Valparaíso in 2023 at the conclusion of the Second Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition. The SummitIt is part of the work of the plural network of legislators of the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean, of which PARLATINO is a member. This network is supported by the FAO, AECID, and AMEXCID through their programmes “Support to the Latin America and Caribbean Without Hunger Initiative” and “Mesoamerica Without Hunger AMEXCID-FAO”.