Mexico City (February 2, 2026) – Village Capital, in partnership with Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh, is launching a call for applications for the fourth edition of the Reshaping Food Systems LatAm 2026 accelerator program. The initiative will support eight startups that are building scalable, market-based solutions that prevent food loss, reduce waste, and improve resource efficiency across the food value chain in Latin America.
Globally, nearly one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted each year, representing an estimated cost of almost USD 1 trillion annually. This reduces farmer incomes, raises food prices, and heightens food insecurity, particularly for low-income and vulnerable populations. Latin America is responsible for approximately 20% of global food losses, with an estimated 223 kilograms of food wasted per person each year.
Addressing food loss and waste in the region requires integrated, system-level solutions that address structural inefficiencies while strengthening food security, climate resilience, and economic inclusion.
Full details and eligibility criteria can be found here. Applications close on March 27, 2026.
We’re seeking startups with a focus on:
Embedded Consumer Waste Reduction: Solutions that integrate waste-reducing behaviors into consumer purchasing, cooking, and storage through smart technologies, shelf-life optimization, nudges, and decision-support tools.
Process Optimization at Food Centers: Solutions that enable proactive waste prevention through inventory traceability, waste tracking, demand planning, and operational optimization.
Climate-Resilient Production and Distribution: Solutions that reduce loss risks during production, post-harvest handling, storage, and transport through low-cost cold chain alternatives, spoilage detection, climate-adaptive packaging, biotechnology, and resilient logistics.
Food Loss and Waste Data Infrastructure: Solutions that enable measurement, monitoring, and reporting of food loss and waste across supply chains, supporting ESG reporting, operational decision-making, and alignment with SDG 12.3.
Redistribution and Circular Utilization: Solutions that enable the safe redistribution, resale, or repurposing of surplus food, prioritizing human consumption before secondary uses.
From June to November 2026, the eight selected startups will work closely with industry experts, investors, and ecosystem partners in four online workshops and one in-person summit in Mexico City. A founder/C-suite member of each selected startup will travel with all expenses included to interact with one of the biggest ecosystems of the region.
All startups that apply to the program will be invited to join Abaca, Village Capital’s free web app. Abaca includes Capital Explorer, which equips entrepreneurs to make strategic fundraising decisions that align with their mission and vision and identify relevant resources and capital providers. Abaca also helps entrepreneurs on a venture path to assess their investment readiness using a consistent set of Venture Investment Levels (1-9) and then plan and track progress toward their next level with the Milestone Planner.
For more information, reach out to Eva Waweru at Village Capital (eva.waweru@vilcap.com).
About Village Capital
Village Capital is a global leader in impact investing, helping early-stage startups access the type of social and financial capital they need to grow – reshaping the supply and demand sides of capital flows as a result.
Since 2009, Village Capital has directly supported more than 2,100 impact startups in 70 countries. Together, these founders have raised over $9.6B across economic mobility, environmental sustainability, and access to essential services. It has made 116 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 91 peer-selected companies. Additionally, 26,000 entrepreneurs have used its Abaca web app to take at least one assessment, helping them expand their access to financial capital. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.
About Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh
The Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh invests in organizations locally, nationally, and across the globe. Through five priority areas, Environment, Human Rights, Education, Jewish Life, and Civil Society, the foundation seeks high-leverage opportunities to advance long-term structural solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges.
In 2021, the Posner Foundation established a strategic plan to guide and assess funding efforts in food waste, with emphasis on prevention solutions. The foundation envisions a waste-free food system that prioritizes efficient use of human, financial, and natural resources. In early 2022, the Posner Foundation released its first ever open call for proposals to bolster their food waste grantmaking, and now, the foundation supports a Food Waste Prevention Cohort of 14 grantee organizations working on a variety of projects to prevent food waste through reshaping consumer environments.