Food industry seeks regional expansion in Central America and Caribbean

Food and beverage companies in Central America and the Caribbean are focusing on regional expansion and the integration of value chains to drive growth. Industry leaders emphasize the need to balance regional scale with local market sensitivity, addressing diverse consumer habits, marketing needs, and infrastructure variations.

In Costa Rica, companies like Griffith Foods are utilizing the country as a strategic platform for innovation, culinary development, and operations. Rodrigo Salinas, general manager of Griffith Foods, noted that the challenge of multi-country operations is identifying which elements can be managed centrally for efficiency and which require specific local responses.

In Guatemala, the Chamber of Industry and the Food and Beverage Guild (Gremab) are working to strengthen regional competitiveness and expand into Caribbean markets. Key challenges identified include managing logistics costs, talent training, and navigating regulations, particularly regarding labeling requirements. The sector aims to avoid regulations that could act as obstacles to industrial development.