San Jose, 29 August 2025 (IICA). In total, 544 Latin American and Caribbean companies participated in the eleventh edition of the Virtual Business Roundtable of Agrifood Chains, a regional trade promotion forum that resulted in tentative business deals valuing USD 20.1 million dollars.
The event was jointly organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Executive Secretariat of the Central American Agricultural Council (SECAC) and the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA), which have been spearheading these types of meetings since 2020, in a bid to bolster regional agrifood trade.
During the event, the buying and selling companies held virtual business meetings and expanded their network of contacts. Overall, there were 236 participating micro, small and medium-sized companies from Central America, 224 from South America and 84 from North America and the Caribbean, representing 19 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.
On the supply side, the most common products were fruits and vegetables, coffee and cocoa, prepared foods, healthy snacks, beverages prepared with natural juices and seeds. As far as services were concerned, services related to agricultural innovation and to customs consultancy and external trade were the most popular.
On the demand side, most inquiries were in relation to the fruit and vegetable sector, and in the area of services, most requests were related to distribution.
Of particular note was the significant presence of women-led companies (49%) and companies headed by individuals below the age of forty (54%).
Since the first edition in 2020, approximately 6,126 companies in the region have participated in the Virtual Business Roundtables, generating USD 262 million of tentative business deals overall, while also promoting economic integration and the development of the agrifood sector.
Edith Flores de Molina, Director of SIECA’s Center for Economic Integration Studies (CEIE), noted that “the eleventh business roundtable, like previous editions, succeeded in fostering strategic ties between companies, producers and buyers in Latin America”.
“This virtual forum held using the REDCA platform has proven itself to be a powerful tool to drive the growth of businesses and the potential to access new markets. We would like to thank our partners, FAO, IICA and SECAC, for the trust they have shown in working with SIECA to develop these business meeting forums that encourage agroindustrial trade and food security in the region”.
Daniel Rodríguez, Manager of IICA’s International Trade and Regional Integration Program, pointed out that the virtual business roundtables have become a strategic space to stimulate agrifood trade in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Rodríguez reported that, “This edition succeeded in bringing together representatives from 19 countries in all the subregions of the Americas, which reflects the growing interest in forging intraregional trade ties. This diverse participation has opened new opportunities for companies and producing organizations to strengthen their positioning in neighboring markets, drive economic integration and contribute to the food and nutrition security of our countries”.
Pablo Rabczuk, Senior Program Officer and Chief of Staff to the FAO Regional Representative, underscored the importance of the Virtual Business Roundtables of Agrifood Chains, as commercial platforms that bring Latin American and Caribbean buyers and sellers together, thus strengthening intraregional trade, above all, given the current context.
He also emphasized FAO’s commitment to bolster the resilience of the agrifood sector, and to promote inclusion. “The fact that 16% of the companies participating in the Virtual Business Roundtables were from the family farming sector and 54% were youth-led companies (individuals under forty years) demonstrates that these actions undoubtedly contribute to the transformation of agrifood systems”, he reflected.
Lucrecia Rodriguez, Executive Secretary of the CAC, stressed that the Business Roundtable is more than an event, but an opportunity for growth, enabling Latin American and Caribbean countries to participate, build bridges, forge partnerships, explore new markets and increase the visibility of their products, while promoting greater brand identity, sustainability and increased value addition. She maintained that these companies are key players in the region’s food security and economic development.
Therefore, by working together, the institutions are promoting the development of business networks in the Latin American and Caribbean agrifood sector, while also fostering the digitalization of trade promotion activities.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
Daniel Rodríguez, Manager of the International Trade and Regional Integration Program, IICA.
daniel.rodriguez@iica.int
