Guatemala City, 20 March 2026 (IICA) – The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Pan American Liquid Biofuels Coalition (CPBIO) participated in the Regional Seminar “Cultivating Energy 2026”, held in Guatemala City, which was attended by the President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo.
The meeting brought together government authorities, international experts, and representatives from the energy and agroindustrial sectors of Latin America and the United States to discuss the future of biofuels in the region.
The event was organized by the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council as a technical exchange space aimed at analyzing international experiences, as well as regulatory, technological, and operational aspects related to the development and implementation of biofuels.
At the opening of the seminar, the President of Guatemala highlighted the country’s commitment to advancing the use of cleaner fuels as part of a sustainable development vision. He noted that the incorporation of biofuels into Guatemala’s energy matrix is supported by a legal framework in place for more than four decades, which is now backed by scientific evidence and the experience of numerous countries that have successfully implemented ethanol blending.
He also emphasized that Guatemala has the opportunity to leverage the knowledge accumulated at the international level to implement this policy based on technical criteria and a long-term vision. In this regard, he stressed that the country is moving forward decisively toward the use of biofuels as part of a strategy to diversify its energy matrix, generate economic opportunities, and contribute to improving air quality.
Also in attendance was Luke Lindberg, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the United States Department of Agriculture, who underscored that energy is a key element in driving economic activity and strengthening business development.
In this context, he noted that the implementation of ethanol blending offers benefits for both consumers and the environment, while also opening opportunities for collaboration and economic growth in the biofuels sector in the United States and Guatemala, contributing to greater stability in fuel prices at retail points.
IICA has been providing technical assistance to the Government of Guatemala in the development and implementation of technical regulations on ethanol in the land transport sector. During the event, IICA-CPBIO International Biofuels Specialist Agustín Torroba delivered a presentation entitled “Public policy frameworks, blending mandates, and regulatory pathways for biofuels in the Americas.” Torroba highlighted that “of the 34 IICA Member States, eleven have effective blending of ethanol with gasoline. In addition, the Americas produce 85% of this biofuel globally and are positioned as a supplier with the potential to expand production thanks to well-developed agricultural value chains and abundant raw materials.”
The panel “The role of the agricultural sector and biofuels” was moderated by IICA Deputy Director General Lloyd Day, who led a discussion among representatives of the Association of Alcohol Producers of Guatemala (APAG), the Association of Sugars and Alcohols of Panama (AZUCALPA), the Salvadoran Sugar Association, and the Agricultural Industrial Sugarcane League (LAICA) of Costa Rica. During the discussion, participants addressed the contribution of the agricultural sector and biofuels to energy security, transport decarbonization, and rural development in Central America.
The seminar brought together government representatives, international organizations, and stakeholders from the energy and agroindustrial sectors with the aim of strengthening the exchange of experiences and promoting the development of biofuels in the region. In this context, Guatemala will begin blending ethanol at 10% in all gasoline starting June 1 of this year.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
