On March 3, 2026, the Inter-American Dialogue and the Japan Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (JALAC) co-hosted the hybrid public event, “From Production to Consumption: Japan–Latin America Cooperation in Food and Agriculture.” The convening marked the eleventh in a series of collaborations between the two organizations. The event considered the enduring engagement between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to advance shared interests in agricultural development, economic security, and resilient supply chains amid a shifting global landscape.
Panel 1—Securing Agricultural Supply Chains: Japan – Latin America Cooperation in a Shifting Global Landscape
The first of the day’s panel explored how historical ties can be leveraged to solve modern agricultural challenges. Discussion opened with an assessment of the region’s geopolitical and environmental stakes. Eugenio Díaz-Bonilla, special advisor at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), highlighted Latin America’s crucial role as the world’s main net exporting region, stabilizing global food prices and supporting environmental sustainability. He warned of the severe global externalities of failing to optimize the region’s agricultural sector, such as heightened migration and illicit economies. Díaz-Bonilla also advocated for a new technological revolution, backed by a robust pipeline of bankable projects and blended finance, to address complex modern challenges like obesity, climate change, and resource sustainability.
Keisuke Ito, director general of the Latin America and the Caribbean Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), considered the various ways in which Japan is aiming to bolster the region’s agricultural prospects, detailing Japan’s historical and ongoing agricultural cooperation with the region, driven by Japan’s low food self-sufficiency and a desire to support Japanese diaspora (Nikkei) communities. He cited the transformation of Brazil’s Cerrado region and Chile’s salmon industry as long-standing and notable successes. Looking forward, Ito emphasized a strategic shift toward supporting small-scale farmers to address regional inequality. He highlighted JICA’s SHEP (Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion) approach, which seeks to shift farmers from an assistance-based mindset to a market-oriented, “grow to sell” mentality.
Alexandre Varella, Labex North America program coordinator at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), discussed the long-standing institutional cooperation between Japanese entities and Embrapa in Brazil. He emphasized current and future hurdles, including climate volatility, pest resistance, and the urgent need to integrate small and mid-sized farmers into new technological ecosystems. Varella underscored Embrapa’s focus on bio-based solutions, such as bio-fertilizers and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, alongside precision agriculture and integrated forestry-livestock systems, stressing that continued international and private-sector partnerships are essential to achieving these goals.
Akiyoshi Miyasaka, president & CEO of Agrex Inc., offered a perspective from the Japanese private sector, explaining Agrex’s strategic investments in Brazilian agriculture, which improve Japanese food security. He noted the rapid growth of Brazil’s soybean market while highlighting three major complexities currently disrupting the global trade landscape: geopolitical fragmentation, policy-driven market shifts (such as the rising demand for biofuels), and increasing sustainability requirements. He argued that maintaining a highly diversified global portfolio is essential for corporate resilience in an unpredictable environment.
Echoing this focus on smallholder farmers and tailored technological integration, Satoshi Ogawa, science and technology advisor at Nosho Navi Co., Ltd., provided a perspective on smart agriculture tailored to Latin American realities, prioritizing data analysis, the Internet of Things (IoT), and ultra-labor-saving systems over heavy machinery. He highlighted the importance of intergenerational technology transfer and the role of the Japanese diaspora in facilitating this adoption. Crucially, Ogawa stressed that foundational peace and security are prerequisites for technological investment, noting that expensive agricultural tools, such as drones, face risks of destruction or import restriction in conflict-prone areas.
During the Q&A session, panelists addressed questions regarding the implications of global conflicts on nitrogen fertilizer supplies, strategies for financing agricultural projects, and targeted support for Central America. Varella noted Embrapa’s research into biological solutions to reduce reliance on traditional fertilizers. Díaz-Bonilla emphasized the need for international organizations to help resource-constrained governments prepare bankable projects to unlock expanded multilateral development bank funding. Finally, Miyasaka and Varella both reiterated the necessity of building local innovation ecosystems that connect research institutions, private companies, and farmers on the ground. Looking ahead, the panelists agreed that while the historical foundation of Japan-Latin America agricultural cooperation is remarkably strong, securing future supply chains will require a combination of new biological technologies, innovative financing models, and a concerted effort to integrate smallholder farmers into market-driven, sustainable economies.
Panel 2—Tastes, Brands, and Markets: Japanese Cuisine in the Americas
The second panel advanced the discussion from agricultural production to cultural exchange and public diplomacy, exploring the growing footprint of Japanese cuisine and food exports across the Americas. Millie Creighton, associate professor at the University of British Columbia, provided an anthropological and historical overview of the food exchange between Japan and Latin America. She traced this dynamic back to early Nikkei who emigrated as farmers and fishers, bringing not just food cultures but also established means of production—such as in the creation of green tea plantations in Brazil. Creighton noted that the massive popularization of sushi in the late 20th century has recently evolved into a broader appreciation for specific Japanese flavors (like umami and yuzu) following the designation of Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. She also highlighted the pivotal role of local diaspora festivals in educating Latin American populations about regional Japanese dishes beyond generalized concepts.
Akira Yamada, managing director of JALAC, outlined the strategic and diplomatic imperatives driving Japan’s culinary expansion. He explained that expanding agricultural and fishery exports is a vital strategy to bolster Japan’s domestic industries against a shrinking national population. While the LAC region currently accounts for only 0.9% of Japan’s global food exports, Yamada emphasized its immense potential for growth, advocating strongly for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Mercosur to facilitate this. He additionally framed Japanese cuisine as a cornerstone of Japan’s soft power, noting that culinary excellence drives tourism and serves as an accessible gateway for global audiences to explore deeper layers of Japanese culture and values.
Takeshi Nishigawa, president of Encounter JAPAN Inc., detailed his experience operating Japanese restaurants and exporting food products in Mexico and Colombia. He observed a distinct market shift around 2021, where Latin American consumers moved from seeking generalized Japanese food to demanding highly specialized, authentic concepts like omakase and dedicated ramen shops. Nishigawa candidly discussed the initial struggles of entering the Latin American market while maintaining Japanese traditions. He explained how he learned to balance a desire to serve strictly authentic dishes with the need to adapt to local consumer needs, such as serving California rolls or pairing ramen with gin and tonics, ultimately framing this adaptation as a way to write a “new history” between Japan and Latin America.
Nobu Yamazaki, chef-owner of Sushi Taro in Washington, DC, stressed that food is the most accessible entry point to another culture, noting that his omakase service allows him to share the rich stories and traditions behind specific ingredients, such as eating sardines to ward off demons or the historical rules surrounding New Year’s osechi boxes. Yamazaki also echoed Nishigawa’s points on adaptation, detailing the challenge of bridging the Japanese preference for subtle umami and softer textures with the American demand for crunchy textures and higher salt profiles. Furthermore, he highlighted the critical, often unsung role of the Latin American immigrant community, calling them the essential backbone of the U.S. restaurant industry’s back-of-house operations.
During the Q&A, the panelists addressed the local evolution of Japanese cuisine and food in the Americas. Ambassador Yamada noted that while some traditionalists resist it, innovative chefs view fusion as a positive evolution of Japanese food that deepens mutual understanding. The panelists agreed that the continued growth of Japanese cuisine in the Americas relies on a combination of strategic export agreements, maintaining rigorous food safety standards, and embracing the inevitable, creative blending of local palates with traditional Japanese techniques.
Fireside Chat with Director General Motoyuki Ishize, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The event concluded with a high-level fireside chat exploring Japan’s broader foreign policy and strategic framework in the Americas. The conversation with Motoyuki Ishize, director general of the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau at the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was moderated by Kellie Meiman Hock, board member at the Inter-American Dialogue and senior counselor at McLarty Associates. Director General Ishize opened by mapping the geopolitical and economic landscape of the 33 countries under his purview. He emphasized that LAC is strategically vital to Japan due to its massive market of 670 million people, its wealth of food, energy, and critical minerals essential for decarbonization, and its geopolitical position. Most importantly, Ishize stressed that as the global rules-based order faces unprecedented stress, Japan deeply values the LAC region for sharing foundational democratic principles, a commitment to free trade, and the rule of law.
Regarding the shifting landscape of global trade and Japan’s critical role in leading the the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after the United States’ withdrawal, Ishize confirmed that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida remains committed to expanding the CPTPP network among like-minded nations, noting active momentum with Costa Rica’s ongoing negotiations and Uruguay’s expressed interest in joining. Regarding a potential EPA with Mercosur, Ishize noted an acceleration in the strategic partnership framework. Pointing to the 27 years it took to finalize the EU-Mercosur agreement, he frankly observed that in today’s rapidly changing global environment, no country has the luxury of negotiating for nearly three decades.
When asked about the role of commerce in diplomacy, Ishize explained that while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs establishes a business-friendly environment, it is the private sector that truly cements international ties. Overcoming the vast geographic distance between Japan and Latin America requires robust day-to-day economic engagement. In parts of the region such as Mexico, where Japanese companies maintain roughly 1,600 operational points, ties are being actively forged. Ishize noted that this massive culinary presence there creates a deep, stable foundation that anchors the bilateral relationship far beyond what government-to-government interactions could achieve alone.
Addressing the intense focus the United States currently places on the Western Hemisphere, Ishize noted that U.S. attention makes his mandate both busier and more meaningful. He observed that Japan’s historically rooted policies in the region, whether addressing migration, combating illicit drugs, or navigating expanding Chinese influence, are fundamentally and organically in sync with U.S. policy and shared alliance values.
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