For more than 14 years, the New Zealand Government and FONTAGRO have worked side by side to accelerate agricultural innovation across Latin America and the Caribbean - forming one of the region’s most enduring international research partnerships. What began as a shared interest in strengthening agricultural science has grown into a powerful platform for demand driven, collaborative research that directly benefits farmers, policymakers, and rural communities.

Through joint investment and scientific exchange, the partnership has helped develop new approaches in livestock systems, soil management, and climate smart production practices - many of which are already being applied across the region. Beyond technical results, the partnership has nurtured strong relationships among research institutions and contributed to building long term capability within national agricultural research systems.

The most recent phase of collaboration has been driven by New Zealand’s Latin America and the Caribbean: Climate Smart Agriculture Programme, which has enabled a new wave of multi country research projects and strengthened the region’s role in global mitigation efforts. These initiatives complement the goals of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, helping broaden global understanding of mitigation options in tropical and subtropical systems.

New Zealand emphasises that the benefits of this cooperation flow both ways. Working with countries that operate in diverse climates, soils, and production systems generates new data, stronger networks, and fresh scientific insights that would be difficult to achieve domestically. These collaborations help broaden the global relevance of New Zealand’s agricultural research while supporting the region to lead its own climate smart innovation pathway.

Above all, New Zealand’s partnership with FONTAGRO demonstrates the vital importance of international cooperation. Food systems worldwide face shared challenges - from climate change to soil degradation - and no country can tackle them alone. By pooling expertise, co investing in priorities, and learning from one another, nations can accelerate the transition to more sustainable, low emissions agriculture.

New Zealand remains proud of what has been achieved together and acknowledges the value of FONTAGRO as a platform for collaborative, demand driven research. The partnership has shown that by learning together and innovating together, countries can not only advance their own agricultural sectors but also contribute to a more sustainable global food system.

Lee Nelson

Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean: Climate Smart Agriculture programme