This document, result of a joint effort by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), analyzes the main changes that have taken place in agriculture and the rural milieu during the 2016-2017 period. It also considers the prospects and main trends in the region, in a context characterized by a slow and uneven global economic recovery in 2016, but with signs of an economic upturn in 2017, and by a continuous reduction in poverty, the poverty gap and income inequality, most likely driven by recent social policies and political efforts to promote economic development. In addition, the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals have provided a new framework for action for the implementation of policies focused on economic growth, environmental protection and social inclusion.