Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
1% of GDP exceeds Brazil's investment in science and technology, being the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean that reaches this threshold, according to CAF's Agricultural Prosperity Strategy based on UNESCO data (Velásquez, A., 2025).
51% of global investment in research and development corresponds to North America and Europe, while Asia represents 39%, leaving only the remaining 10% for other regions including Latin America, according to UNESCO data (2021) (Velásquez, A., 2025).
8,000 years old are the earliest evidences of avocado use in Mesoamerica, with archaeological evidence of its food and ritual importance in pre-Incan cultures from approximately 1500 B.C. in South America (Velásquez, A., 2025).
Approximately 500 years have passed since the conquest of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui over the 'Palta Culture' settled in present-day Loja, Ecuador, an event that originated the most common name for avocado in South America and its diffusion in the Inca Empire (Velásquez, A., 2025).
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
25% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the agricultural sector, creating pressure to adopt sustainable practices and regulations that govern production and international trade according to sustainability standards (Velásquez, A., 2025).
