The 2026 edition of CAF’s Report on Economic Development (RED) places rural areas in Latin America and the Caribbean at the center of the development agenda. These areas are home to strategic assets for the region—fertile land, biodiversity, forests, energy sources, and critical minerals—and a population of nearly 120 million people, making them pillars of food security, the energy transition, and environmental sustainability. Through a detailed analysis, the report shows how, despite significant progress in productive modernization and increases in agricultural productivity, significant gaps persist in poverty, informality, infrastructure, and access to basic services, along with a decline in agricultural employment and marked territorial and sectoral disparities. The document also identifies opportunities to strengthen value chains and diversify the productive base in key sectors—agriculture and agribusiness, mining and energy, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, and tourism—in a context of growing global demand for sustainable goods and increasing risks associated with climate change and price volatility.