Spanish
The Industrial Development and Competitiveness Center (Proindustria) held Agro Sostenible 2025 this Tuesday, a space for analysis and reflection on the challenges and opportunities of the agro-industrial sector in the transition towards a circular production and consumption model.
The event was led by the general director of Proindustria, Rafael Cruz Rodríguez, who in his welcome remarks highlighted the importance of the country's productive transformation. In his speech, he stated that "we are living a decisive moment for the economic and productive development of the Dominican Republic," and emphasized that circular production constitutes a great opportunity to "innovate, generate value, and move towards a truly sustainable and inclusive development."
Cruz highlighted that the circular economy must be embraced as a necessary and urgent path, stating that "it is not a trend nor a distant goal: it is the gateway to a new way of producing, growing, and coexisting with our environment."
At the same time, he reaffirmed that Proindustria is firmly committed to supporting the industrial sector in this process of change, noting that circularity must "cease to be an aspiration and become a tangible reality for the Dominican Republic."
The Agro Sostenible 2025 conference was held in two main blocks. First, the keynote conference titled "Challenges and opportunities of the agro-industrial sector for circular design, production and consumption" took place, given by Rodrigo Castañeda, representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Dominican Republic.
In this presentation, the main challenges and opportunities facing the Dominican agro-industry to adapt to a more resilient and competitive production model were addressed.
The speaker stated that food security and the competitiveness of the agri-food sector depend on factors such as economic growth, climate change, access to nutritious food, and the reduction of losses in the production chain. He emphasized that water is a strategic resource under strong pressure in several basins of the country, as the agricultural sector consumes the majority of the resource but wastes a significant portion, which highlights the urgency of more efficient management.
In this framework, he highlighted the need to transition towards a circular economy model that incorporates technological innovation, regulatory and financial support, training for producers, and the consideration of social and environmental factors. Finally, he pointed out that the major challenges for the sector are energy optimization, water efficiency, and the strengthening of labor productivity, fundamental aspects to achieve greater sustainability and competitiveness.
Subsequently, a panel discussion moderated by Ilonka Acosta, director of Industry Support Services at Proindustria, was held, with the participation of specialists from the public, private, and academic sectors. Among them were Joaquín Antonio González Gautreaux, Deputy Minister of Agroindustry Development of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Mipymes; Osmar Benítez, executive president of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD); Berioska Castillo, specialist in circular economy and advisor on Sustainable Development of the Ministry of the Presidency; and Deyanira Suriñach, specialist in sustainability and climate change at DEUMAN.
The panelists agreed that accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in the Dominican Republic requires a joint commitment between the State, the productive sector, and the citizenry. On the one hand, the need for citizens to assume an active and proactive role was emphasized, participating in institutional processes, using the resources available on public portals, and giving their opinions to improve the policies that are already being promoted by the State.
On the other hand, it was highlighted that education is the basis for achieving sustainable changes: educating producers, SMEs, and executives so that they understand what is happening in the agro-industrial environment and can adapt.
The exchange of ideas concluded with a dialogue space with attendees, highlighting the need to articulate efforts between the State, industry, and society to promote innovative, responsible, and competitive practices that strengthen the Dominican agro-industrial sector within the framework of the circular economy.
