The 4th EU-LAC Agri-Food Dialogue, Water and Agriculture in Transition: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Management in the EU and LAC, provided a platform to analyze the challenges and opportunities of ensuring food security and sustainable water resource management.

Marina Dockweiler, Senior Specialist in Socio-Environmental Management at FONPLATA, represented the Bank in the panel Strengthening Governance for Water Management in Agri-Food Systems. The discussion focused on how regulatory and institutional frameworks, together with public policies, can foster more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient agriculture through the efficient use of water—an increasingly scarce strategic resource.

The panelists highlighted progress in consolidating an integrated approach to water resource management, with tools that assess watershed health and ecosystem functions in relation to multiple water uses. They also emphasized the significant challenges in strengthening governance and ensuring efficient management that promotes sustainable and resilient productivity. Key challenges include:

· Revising regulatory and jurisdictional frameworks to reflect the cross-sectoral nature of water use and to recognize the watershed as a unit of planning and management.

· Advancing digitization and generating baseline information to provide evidence for investment and resource-use planning decisions.

· Mobilizing innovative financing that incorporates risks of scarcity and climate vulnerability, while incentivizing efficient irrigation technologies, water reuse, and source protection.

· Engaging stakeholders across the agri-food ecosystem through participatory processes, training, and technology transfer.

Latin America and the Caribbean hold 30% of the planet's freshwater resources, 70% of which are used for agriculture. The region produces 23% of the world's food, underscoring the strategic role of the agri-food sector in ensuring the efficient use of water to sustain productivity and food security.

FONPLATA reaffirms its commitment to sustainable water management and to promoting projects that strengthen climate resilience, food security, and inclusive development in the region.

12/04/2025