Latin American Network Advances Food Supply, Market Policies

Delegations from 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean concluded the 10th Meeting of the Regional Network of Public Food Supply and Marketing Systems (Red SPAA). The meeting, held from Aug. 13 to 15 in Cartagena, brought together government representatives, public institutions and regional experts to address issues such as food price transparency, market stability, equitable access to nutritious food and the development of inclusive and sustainable supply systems.

Red SPAA, a platform of government institutions created a decade ago, works to strengthen public food supply and marketing systems across the region. According to FAO, regional cooperation remains critical to building healthy and sustainable food systems, particularly in urban areas. The organization called on governments, the private sector and international bodies to continue strengthening the strategic role of markets, improve agricultural information systems and promote food supply policies that respond to inflation, climate change and inequality in access to healthy diets.

In its 10 years of work, Red SPAA has reported several outcomes. The network has strengthened the technical capacity of more than 500 public officials in areas such as grain reserve management, inclusive marketing strategies, price intelligence systems, public procurement, and producer-consumer fairs.

Red SPAA has also improved supply policies in urban and peri-urban areas through mobile warehouses, public stores, and supermarkets in countries including Bolivia, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, and Honduras. These initiatives have provided families in vulnerable situations with products at 10 to 30% lower prices.

The network has promoted family and small-scale farming by connecting producers and consumers through public fairs that encourage food diversity and culture. These fairs have generated savings of 20% or more for families while supporting local producers, as exemplified by Chile’s free and farmers’ fairs.

Red SPAA has produced more than 10 studies that informed program design on market intelligence in Panama, grain reserve management in El Salvador and Costa Rica, modernization of supply systems in El Salvador and Honduras, and improvements to agricultural fairs in Costa Rica and Paraguay. Regional diagnostics have also been developed on price information systems and strategic reserves.

Finally, the network has supported the Strategy for the Management of Strategic Basic Grain Reserves of the Central American Integration System (SICA), approved by the Council of Central American Ministers. This strategy benefits Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Belize.