On January 21, 36 startups from the Agtech Network of the Americas, led by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), took part in an enriching webinar. The session was led by Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary of FONTAGRO, who guided attendees through the key aspects of applying for the 2026 Call for Proposals, along with Federico Bert, Coordinator of Agro-Food Digitalization at IICA.

Representatives from countries such as Guatemala, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Peru attended the event to gain deeper insights into the terms of reference and relevance of this call, which aims to fund projects from regional consortia of research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) with the goal of enhancing productivity, profitability, and competitiveness of agro-food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, while also seeking to reduce their environmental footprint.

The Agtech Network of the Americas, which started with the first edition of the Digital Agriculture Week by IICA in 2022, has been growing and establishing stronger connections among its members. Its objective is to mobilize agro-food digitalization and foster the development of enterprises that offer innovative digital solutions for agri-food systems in the region, in line with FONTAGRO’s Call for Proposals.

It is important to highlight that IICA and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are sponsors of FONTAGRO, reinforcing a strategic alliance with significant potential. Together, they are driving essential initiatives that include funding and co-financing innovative projects, building knowledge platforms, strengthening capacities in member countries, and promoting evidence-based policies to transform agro-food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This webinar represents a significant step toward strengthening collaboration in the agro-food sector, reaffirming FONTAGRO's and IICA's commitment to generating a positive impact on productivity and sustainability in agriculture across the region.