ABSTRACT
The chapter presents an overview of fruit fly (Tephritidae) pests and their economic impact in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, with a focus on the damage they inflict to horticultural production, as well as national and international commercialization. It reviews global trends that have favoured the establishment of several invasive fruit fly species in the region and the need to avoid further transboundary movement of invasive species. It also discusses the opportunities to increase fruit and vegetable production in the region despite the fruit fly problem and how integrated fruit fly management approaches within the framework of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) can be applied for effective fruit fly control and to facilitate the international commercialization of horticultural commodities. The need for increased consumption of fruit and vegetables worldwide and in the Latin America and Caribbean region to mitigate the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases is discussed, as well as the trends in human population growth that will require increased provision of adequate diets. It also discusses the opportunities for Latin America and Caribbean countries to commercialize produce taking advantage of the global trend towards healthier food and less animal protein consumption. It presents available mechanisms for technical cooperation that facilitate technology transfer for more sustainable area-wide fruit fly management. It also provides case examples in the Latin America and Caribbean region of successful area-wide fruit fly programmes that have increased production, opened markets and generated significant return on investment, as well as job opportunities. Future perspectives and challenges to address the fruit fly problem in the Latin America and Caribbean region are described.
