Our relationship with bees goes way back. About 9,000 years, according to an extensive analysis of beeswax residue found on ancient pottery shards. Today we still depend on these industrious creatures as pollinators and honey producers.

Unfortunately, bees—and the livelihoods of those who keep them—are threatened due to pesticides, parasites, habitat loss, and climate change. 

“The world, Latin America, and the Caribbean (LAC) are experiencing dramatic changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Global warming and its related impacts such as flooding, drought, fires, the spread of vector diseases and more, can have catastrophic consequences, affecting mostly the poor and vulnerable”.

This is the alert of a video we produced at IDB Invest to call for action on adaptation finance.

Amid the challenges posed by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the manufacturing sector in Latin America and the Caribbean is at a critical stage of digital transformation.

However, an increasingly dynamic and uncertain market environment is emerging due to the health crisis, recent international trade conflicts, and other factors such as macroeconomic uncertainty, inflation, changes in demand, environmental regulations, or supply stock issues. 

A 10% increase in mobile connectivity would boost GDP by 1.6%.

If innovation is so important, why do many economies in Latin America and the Caribbean underinvest in it?

The 2023 Global Innovation Index shows that nine Latin American and Caribbean countries perform below expectations on innovation, and even the leading country ranks 49th out of 132 economies. In terms of innovation and developing innovation ecosystems, the Caribbean, in particular, lags behind other regions of the world.