The biodiversity-development trajectory in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) hinges on mobilizing long-term, patient capital aligned with natural capital, moving away from short-term extractive finance that causes degradation. To escape the middle-income trap, LAC requires a significant increase in R&D investment (from $35B to $130B annually) and a shift towards nature-inspired disruptive innovation, which offers a scalable path for biodiversity-based productive development. This report addresses how territorial inequality in scientific and innovation capacities are crucial, as biodiverse areas often lack them, necessitating rebalancing R&D investment for fairness and efficiency. CAF's labors are pivotal in catalyzing patient capital, mitigating risks, fostering regional science cooperation, and integrating scientific knowledge into policy and finance, as highlighted by the 2024 Chicó-Bogotá Declaration.