The FONTAGRO 2026 Call for Proposals selected five Regional Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D&I) Consortia that will promote more productive, profitable and competitive agrifood systems with a smaller environmental footprint across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). With an investment of nearly USD 5 million, these initiatives will develop technologies and innovations with high potential for adoption and scaling, capable of generating tangible impacts on the ground and contributing to the sustainable transformation of the region’s production systems.

The call received 130 proposals submitted by consortia composed of public and private institutions from at least two FONTAGRO member countries, in partnership with international and extra-regional organizations. All proposals were evaluated by an independent panel of international experts with distinguished academic and professional experience.

As a result of this process, during the XXIV Extraordinary Meeting of the FONTAGRO Board of Directors, held on July 10, 2026, in San José, Costa Rica, the members of the FONTAGRO Board approved funding for five projects. In addition, they agreed to endorse four additional initiatives as projects by consensus, further strengthening regional cooperation in agricultural research and innovation.

The selected initiatives will advance strategic areas for the transformation of sustainable agriculture and livestock systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. They will promote innovations to improve the nutritional quality of food, optimize agricultural fertilization, and strengthen integrated cattle production systems that are more productive, profitable, and resilient. They will also develop artificial intelligence-based digital platforms to enhance on-farm decision-making, strengthen food security through the scaling of Andean crops such as tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis), and improve plant and animal health through regional strategies for the prevention and management of diseases affecting key crops such as bananas, plantains, and other Musaceae, and fruit trees, as well as through the integrated management of the New World screwworm.

Since 1998, FONTAGRO has launched 25 calls for proposals, nearly one each year, with the objective of identifying and documenting successful experiences that can later be scaled up by other funding organizations within the global agricultural innovation system.

FONTAGRO would like to thank everyone who submitted proposals to the 2026 Call for Proposals and congratulate the winners, listed below: