A New Chapter for Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean stand at a pivotal moment. Home to nearly 670 million people, the region’s geography is uniquely vulnerable to climate change and its impacts on people’s livelihoods and health. It’s also uniquely primed to meet these challenges, and is doing so through community-driven solutions, innovative climate adaptation, and a wealth of natural assets and minerals. It’s a diverse and complex region that’s taking charge of its own future.

In December 2025, The Rockefeller Foundation opened the doors to our new regional office in Bogotá, Colombia. Our physical presence in the region is a statement of commitment and collaboration, as well as a recognition of Latin America and the Caribbean’s critical role in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

However, this is not a new commitment. The Foundation’s work here started in the 1930s and has included projects such as vaccine development, crop production, and yellow fever eradication. Today, our commitment means standing alongside local leaders to help strengthen climate adaptation and development for communities and people across the region.

People-Centered Climate Action in Practice

Fifty percent of the world’s biodiversity is estimated to exist in Latin America and the Caribbean, making it one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. The work we’re doing in the region exemplifies our people-centered approach to climate action.

This can be seen through our long-standing partnership with FUNDAEC, a Colombian nonprofit with over 50 years of experience in rural development and regenerative agriculture. Their Growing Hope initiative, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, helps smallholder farmers transition from monoculture sugarcane production to diversified, regenerative practices. The results speak for themselves: 94% of participating farmers adopted sustainable practices and 96% of families improved their diets.

Similarly, through a new partnership with Acceso Colombia, we’re supporting an approach to help 100 smallholder plantain farmers transition to regenerative agriculture to strengthen rural livelihoods, sequester carbon and restore soil health, boost yields, and promote biodiversity and bioeconomy.

These are just a few of the projects the Foundation supports in our efforts to deliver more nutritious and regenerative school meals, connect people to new energy sources, and build better health systems in the region.

What unites these efforts is a recognition that impact doesn’t come from any single intervention or institution but emerges from ecosystems of collaboration.

The Power of Partnerships

Our work in the region is powered by a network of innovators, leaders, and partners who co-create solutions with us.

This approach is backed by research. Our 2025 report, “Five Agendas to Drive the Transformation of the Philanthropic Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean,” supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and conducted by The Resource Foundation and Dalberg Advisors, underscores that cross-sector collaboration is fundamental for bringing about transformative initiatives for communities. At a time when international cooperation is on the decline and only 27% of Latin Americans trust NGOs, it’s critical that we work together to build trust, support local leaders, and focus on long-term, sustainable results.

Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Program Strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation, delivers remarks at the opening of the Foundation’s Bogotá office.

The opening reception for our Bogotá office brought this ecosystem together in one room: grantees, fellows, government officials, private sector and civil society leaders. As Elizabeth Yee, The Rockefeller Foundation’s EVP of Programs expressed at the December opening, what we’re building in Bogotá is not just an office but a place where our partners can bring their ideas and communities together to help drive impact. She noted that our renewed presence “gives us an opportunity to support those partners, to build on the knowledge and innovation that already exists in the region and help it both transform lives and livelihoods for communities here and demonstrate the opportunity around the world.”