This document has been prepared on information drawn from several sources, including documents
and fora and workshops held in different parts of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to address
the problems and opportunities that exist in the region regarding agriculture and the rural milieu, from
the perspective of technological development. In addition to this introduction, the document consists
of four sections. The first provides a brief summary of the context in which agriculture operates in
LAC, including the different scenarios vis-à-vis production and productivity. The second section
describes the regional agricultural research system, including a presentation on FORAGRO, whose
main objective is to develop and strengthen the system¿s institutional framework. The third presents
the main issues that have emerged in LAC related to the construction of a common agenda on the
question of research and technological development in a broad context of rural development. Lastly,
the fourth section highlights the role of LAC in the context of global cooperation, and makes reference
to the CGIAR.