The 2026 Latin American Poultry Summit brought together industry leaders, experts and innovators under the motto “Poultry Protein, we can’t live without it,” highlighting the essential role of poultry as the most accessible and sustainable source of protein across the region. The program focused on strategic decision-making to strengthen modern poultry production in Latin America amid evolving economic, social and technological challenges.

The Summit opened with a CEO Roundtable featuring Lorenzo Martín, El Gran Chaparral, Mexico, and Juan Felipe Montoya, Huevos Kikes, Colombia, and moderated by Mauricio Sanabria, Hy-Line International, Colombia. Both leaders, representing multigenerational family businesses, discussed challenges such as diseases, informal markets, transportation infrastructure, generational succession and the urgent need to communicate better with consumers to build confidence and bridge the gap between rural producers and urban areas.

Further discussions highlighted poultry management as both a critical risk and opportunity, citing examples such as avian influenza spread linked to poor manure handling in Mexico and the use of biodigesters in Colombia to produce methane for transportation. Speakers emphasized the importance of sustainability, egg product development for export and the continued growth in per capita egg consumption (400 eggs in Mexico, 375 in Colombia and rising numbers in Brazil) highlighting eggs as the most affordable protein across all social and economic sectors.

Other presentations focused on key technical challenges in poultry production. Bianca Martins of Alltech, Mexico, discussed mycotoxins in Latin America, highlighting their impact on feed conversion and noting vomitoxin as the most prevalent mycotoxin in corn across Mexico and parts of Central and South America. Dr. Carlos Martínez of DCL Mexico discussed intestinal integrity, explaining how imbalances in gut microorganisms affect productivity, and José Ramírez of Anitox addressed Salmonella control in feed mills, emphasizing common contamination risks and modern testing technology.

The Summit also covered environmental management and industry communication. Cristabel Huerta of Hato Lighting explained how light spectrum and photoperiod influence bird behavior and performance, offering practical examples from poultry farms. The event concluded with Mauricio Simental of Bachoco, Mexico, who shared how the company strengthened consumer engagement through effective communication and branding.