By Mark Jarman
Four years living in Latin America have changed how I see almost everything: agriculture, innovation, collaboration, and even success itself.
When I arrived in Colombia, I thought I understood the region. I had worked on projects here before, knew the data, and followed the trends. But you cannot understand Latin America from the outside. You have to live it. You have to make mistakes in Spanish, share long conversations over coffee, and experience the pace, humour, and warmth that drive everything here.
What began as a professional move became something much more personal. It has taught me to slow down, to listen, and to appreciate that progress often starts with people, not plans. I have learned that relationships are not a by-product of doing business here; they are the foundation of it.
Over the past four years, AgriTIERRA has worked across the region and have seen how every country has its own way of approaching challenges and opportunities. Each one has taught me something different about resilience, innovation, and the human side of agriculture.
Here are some of those lessons about agrifood innovation from six countries that have shaped how I see this remarkable region.
Colombia has been both home and teacher. It is a country that moves with quiet determination, balancing ambition with empathy.
When I first arrived, I was struck by how progress here depends on relationships. People invest in trust before transactions. Projects move forward through collaboration rather than competition.
Over time, I began to understand the power of that approach. Colombia’s innovation does not shout; it builds. From working with cooperatives in rural Antioquia to startups in Bogotá, in AgriTIERRA, we have seen how progress happens person by person.
Its bioeconomy and digitalisation efforts are connecting communities that were once isolated, proving that inclusion and innovation can advance together. Colombia taught me that transformation does not always make headlines. Sometimes it happens quietly, through patience, persistence, and connection.
Working in Brazil feels like stepping into another dimension of agriculture. Everything is vast: the landscapes, the production, the ambition.
Brazil’s science and research infrastructure are world-class, with institutions like Embrapa linking policy, academia, and agribusiness in ways few countries can match.
What surprised me most was how openness and ambition coexist. Farmers talk about satellite data and soil health in the same conversation. Smallholders learn from large-scale producers, and both benefit.
AgriTIERRA’s work in Brazil taught me to think big but stay grounded. The scale can be overwhelming, yet behind every major initiative is a community of people working with care and pride. The lesson is simple: ambition only matters if it brings others along with it.
Argentina is a masterclass in resilience. AgriTIERRA’s work here began during a period of economic instability, expecting frustration, but found creativity everywhere.
In Buenos Aires, I met founders building data platforms in the middle of inflationary chaos, and researchers turning constraints into experiments.
In Argentina, improvisation is not a weakness; it is an art form. Constant uncertainty has created a generation of innovators who treat adaptation as a muscle they train every day.
The country taught me that optimism can be a strategy. People keep creating, even when conditions are tough, and that energy is contagious.
After Argentina’s chaos, Chile felt like precision in motion.
Here, agriculture runs on discipline. Meetings start on time. Systems are consistent. Data is respected. This sense of order underpins Chile’s global reputation for reliability in exports and food safety.
AgriTIERRA’s work with Chilean partners taught me that professionalism is also a form of respect. It signals commitment and builds trust.
Chile showed me that innovation does not have to be disruptive; it can be deliberate. The country proves that sustainability and efficiency grow best when structure and collaboration are aligned.
AgriTIERRA’s recently launched work in Costa Rica is where I see what a shared national vision for sustainability can achieve.
There, conversations about agriculture always start with values. Biodiversity, renewable energy, and soil protection are not just government goals; they are part of daily decision-making.
From cooperatives in San José to organic farms near Guanacaste, the alignment between people and policy is visible. Everyone pulls in the same direction.
Costa Rica is teaching me that sustainability cannot be treated as a department; it has to be a mindset. The country is living proof that economic growth and environmental stewardship can reinforce each other.
Mexico pulses with energy. It is vast, layered, and endlessly inventive, and it is the location of AgriTIERRA’s latest work.
Working there means constantly shifting gears, from smallholder maize fields to high-tech greenhouses exporting to North America. The diversity is daunting, but it is also the country’s strength.
Mexico’s position as a bridge between North and South gives it a unique role in shaping trade, technology, and collaboration across the region. It reminds me that complexity is not something to simplify or control; it is something to understand and use.
Every project, every partnership, adds another layer to how I see the region’s potential.
Looking back, I realise that Latin America has been my greatest teacher. It has taught me to slow down, listen more, and let things unfold at their own rhythm.
The region has shown me that progress does not follow a straight line. It moves through people: through patience, empathy, and small daily wins that eventually add up to transformation.
It has also changed how I see leadership. Leading here is not about giving direction; it is about building connection. It is about understanding when to speak and when to listen, when to plan and when to adapt.
When I first arrived, I measured success in deadlines and deliverables. Now I measure it in trust, collaboration, and the satisfaction of seeing local ideas take root and grow.
Learning Spanish opened doors, but living here opened perspective. The mix of cultures, climates, and personalities has taught me that innovation is not just about technology; it is about people who believe they can make things better.
Working across the region has given me professional insight, but it has also given me humility. It reminded me that progress is not imported; it is built from within.
Each of these countries has contributed to how I see AgriTIERRA’s mission: connecting local knowledge with global innovation to help agriculture become more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.
Latin America continues to surprise me with its creativity, generosity, and optimism. Four years in, I still learn something new every day, not only about agriculture but about what it means to build relationships that last.
And that, perhaps, is the biggest lesson of all.
In my next post, I will zoom out to explore the regional picture. What are the shared forces driving transformation across Latin America’s agrifood sector, and what can the rest of the world learn from them?
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