Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
3,500 years old are the first documented potato crops in South America, a tuber that in the 17th century saved Europe from famine, becoming one of the main contributions of the New World to global food security (Velásquez, A., 2025).
Approximately 12,000 years have passed since, after the last ice age, major human migrations began to develop domestication techniques and artificial selection to adapt wild plants and animals to productive agricultural conditions (Velásquez, A., 2025).
15% is estimated as the growth in agricultural innovation that could be achieved in Latin America through the implementation of CAF's Agricultural Prosperity Strategy, which promotes financing, training, and equitable access to new technologies adapted to the region (Velásquez, A., 2025).
500% has increased agricultural productivity in the last seven decades thanks to the incorporation of scientists and technologists from various areas, from genetics to irrigation, fertilization, mechanization, and recently robotics, digitalization, and biotechnology (Velásquez, A., 2025).
25 times higher is the proportional investment in agricultural research and development in North America and Europe (51%) compared to Latin America and the Caribbean (2%), evidencing a deep technological gap according to UNESCO data (2021) (Velásquez, A., 2025).
100% of large-scale U.S. agricultural producers use satellite information, much of it generated by NASA, to feed their automated precision agriculture systems for irrigation, fertilization, and other activities (Velásquez, A., 2025).
1,300 dollars per pound reached Panama's Geisha coffee in a specialized auction, obtaining the highest historical price for cup quality in the international market, evidencing the potential of Latin American specialty coffees (Velásquez, A., 2025).
Approximately 40% of world coffee production corresponds to Brazil, positioning itself as the main producer/exporter, followed by Colombia and Vietnam that alternate in second place, with Colombia standing out for the recognized quality of its product (Velásquez, A., 2025).
Approximately 9,000 years has the domestication process of Teosinte from Mexico and Central America until becoming the corn we know today, thanks to the systematic selection work by Mesoamerican indigenous peoples (Velásquez, A., 2025).
85% of Argentine wine export revenues come from fine wines, representing a significant improvement in quality and added value of the wine sector (McDermott, 2005).
