San José, 28 May 2026 (IICA). Producers, technical specialists, and institutions in different areas of Latin America and the Caribbean are taking part in a coordinated effort to develop a regional agenda for sustainable dairy farming. The initiative is spearheaded by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pan-American Dairy Farming Federation (FEPALE) and Chile’s Dairy Consortium.
The initiative is currently underway in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, where dairy sector stakeholders are working together to align their practices and measure progress. The purpose of these actions is to strengthen the dairy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean by means of a common methodology that allows for evaluating, monitoring, and demonstrating continuous improvement with respect to sustainability.
This methodology corresponds to the Dairy Sustainability Framework (DSF), a global platform that facilitates alignment between sector stakeholders and allows for measuring and reporting progress in a consistent manner, based on comparable criteria between countries. The DSF approach incorporates the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social.
Entitled “Development of a Regional Agenda for Sustainable Dairy Farming in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the initiative is currently in a key phase, in which participating countries are developing national roadmaps based on joint work between producers, technical specialists, and public and private institutions.
Each country is promoting the participation of dairy sector stakeholders, who are helping to prepare an initial sustainability profile based on local realities. This will allow for identifying gaps, recognizing progress achieved, and guiding concrete actions.
Coordination for a common agenda
One of the main contributions of this initiative will be the creation of opportunities for dialogue and coordination between stakeholders who have traditionally carried out their work in an isolated manner. By establishing national committees and promoting the participation of multiple interested parties, the project is promoting the development of agreements and shared priorities regarding sustainable dairy farming.
“Coordination between countries allows for aligning efforts and advancing toward a regional agenda that bolsters the impact of sustainability actions in the dairy sector,” indicated Miguel Alejandro Guzmán, Agribusiness Specialist and Principal Executive for Technical Advisory Services in Biodiversity and Climate at CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
In turn, Ariel Londinsky, Secretary General of the Pan-American Dairy Farming Federation (FEPALE) noted that having a common framework allows for demonstrating the sector’s progress and strengthening the international standing of Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to Natalie Jones Barahona, Coordinator of the Sustainability Department of Chile’s Dairy Consortium, the common methodology will allow for achieving ongoing progress in measuring and improving the dairy sector’s sustainability, generating comparable information that can aid in decision-making.
Ongoing work in three countries of the region
In Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, work is being led by national technical teams with the support of IICA specialists—Sacha Trelles, Gina Rosario, and Braulio Cantera, respectively—and the partner institutions involved in the project.
“We are advancing toward developing an evidence-based roadmap that integrates sector information and the knowledge of producers and technical specialists to guide decisions aligned with international sustainability criteria,” said Sacha Trelles of Costa Rica.
For her part, Gina Rosario of the Dominican Republic stated that the process represents a strategic opportunity to establish a baseline for the dairy sector by means of a participatory process. She added that this would allow for strengthening the sector’s sustainability, prioritizing concrete actions based on productive, environmental, and social conditions in each country.
This approach will enable the three countries not only to strengthen their internal capacities, but also to generate knowledge that can be shared at the regional level, thereby contributing to the development of a common vision for the sustainable development of dairy farming.
Braulio Cantera of Uruguay noted that the generation of systematized, validated information allows for improving decision-making, monitoring progress, and following up on commitments set out in the national roadmaps.
Among the expected results of the project are the preparation of national technical reports, the development of agreed-upon roadmaps, and the dissemination of these results by means of a regional agenda for the dairy sector.
Not only will this work give visibility to progress achieved, but it will allow for establishing a foundation for information and cooperation that facilitates more in-depth analysis of the sustainability of dairy farming in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The national agendas are expected to be defined by 2027, laying the foundation for long-lasting impact and strengthening the dairy sector as an engine of economic development, rural employment, and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
