The business rounds have been developed by the Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA), the Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano (SECAC), the Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Companies from the countries of the SICA region (Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic) and other Latin American countries participated, as well as buying companies from China, the United States and European countries.

This joint initiative was carried out through the Red Centroamericana de Comercio (REDCA), "a digital platform created and managed by SIECA, which brings together more than 28,000 companies and is a powerful tool for making business links and creating contact networks to position their products and services in international markets", said Edith Flores, Director of SIECA's Centro de Estudios para la Integración Económica (CEIE).

The events promoted the marketing of agri-food sector products and services, including primary products and their derivatives, processed foods, natural cotton fibers, production support services and marketing services. 

The subsectors of fruits, vegetables, coffee, cocoa, basic grains, seeds, food preparations, healthy snacks, packaging and distribution, transportation and logistics services stood out for their participation in this series of events held over the last three years.

Lucrecia Rodríguez, Executive Secretary of the CAC, stressed the importance of this type of initiative that supports trade and the development of the region's rural territories, since the agricultural sector is the main generator of employment in rural areas and an important source of foreign exchange earnings. It is estimated that close to 45% of SICA's exports correspond to agricultural products.

"At a time when the agrifood sector has been affected by multiple crises related to COVID-19, the adverse weather conditions that several countries in the region are facing and the armed conflict in Ukraine, strengthening regional trade has become a key element because it allows for a greater supply of food and inputs from nearby sources, minimizing the risks to food security and promoting productive linkages that promote economic and social development", said Daniel Rodríguez, manager of IICA's International Trade and Regional Integration program.

"In this context, the Virtual Business Roundtables of the Agrifood Chains of Latin America and the Caribbean have become a meeting point for strengthening trade ties between the countries of the region", she added. 

Pablo Rabczuk, FAO's International Trade Coordination Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the commitment to continue supporting initiatives that bring small-scale producers, SMEs and family farming organizations closer to new markets, generating trade opportunities and, at the same time, having an impact on the economic and social development of the region.

"The virtual business roundtables, together with training and technical assistance programs, are key to providing these actors with the tools they need to grow. This virtual business roundtable is an example of the relevance of intra-regional trade and of the capacities that exist in our region.This has been possible thanks to the joint work of SIECA, SECAC, IICA and FAO, which has made it possible to consolidate a very important support service for agrifood trade throughout the region", said Rabczuk.

In 2023, this effort to support the region's agricultural sector will continue through the “Red Centroamericana de Comercio” (REDCA), platform, which enables companies to consolidate and diversify their markets, shortening distances and reducing costs, since virtual business meetings or encounters between companies can be held from anywhere in the world using a cellular device, tablet or computer with an Internet connection.

Translated by: A.M