In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit 2026 in Vienna, Chris Walton sits down with Erika Rodríguez Cuervo, General Manager of Latin America at the Consumer Goods Forum, to explore why one of the most important growth stories in global retail is unfolding far beyond Europe.

Erika discusses how Latin America's rapidly evolving consumer markets are shaping conversations around sustainability, packaging, supply chains, and AI. She also shares how the Consumer Goods Forum is helping companies across the region collaborate on common challenges while adapting global initiatives to local realities.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why Latin America is becoming more important to global retailers and consumer brands

• The Consumer Goods Forum's priorities across the region

• How CGF supports collaboration among companies of all sizes

• Creating practical platforms for sustainability and supply chain innovation

• What the Golden Design Rules are and why they matter

• Advancing plastic circularity across Latin America

• The impact of evolving environmental regulations

• Balancing global frameworks with local market implementation

• How AI could help accelerate innovation in Latin America

• Why adapting technology to local realities is critical for success

Special thanks to the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit and the CGF Leadership Studio sponsored by Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's coverage in Vienna.

Hello, welcome back, this is Omnitalk Retail.

I am Chris Walton and I am coming to you from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit in Vienna, Austria from the CGF Leadership Studio, which is sponsored to you of course by our partner Vuzion.

And joining me now is Erika Rodriguez.

Erica is the General Manager for Latin America at the Consumer Goods Forum.

Erika, it's a pleasure to meet you and have you on the show.

Very nice to meet you too.

Thanks for inviting me.

Yeah, so let's start.

The question that's top of mind for me is like, how does Latin America fit into the conversation here?

Oh, Latin America is a really important region for global consumer brands, for a global consumer industry.

It combines large and regional, growing consumer markets, strong manufacturer capabilities, evolving retail landscape.

So all at the same time, the region face a unique challenge.

Of course we are growing which make us the consumer good form, a source of platform resources, resilient and practical information for our members.

Okay, and so what are CGF's priorities in Latin America or as you define your role, what do you try to accomplish?

Well, CGF priority is to help members to collaborate on issues that they can solve a lot.

Okay, so in our region or in Latin America, our priority is the same, to help members to collaborate in issues that matter both business performance, social and environment impact.

And in Latin America, we focus on create practical platforms who help members to help each other and accelerate progress together that include sustainability, circularity, supply chain efficiency, etc.

Okay, got it.

So the one thing that I'm always interested about whenever we talk about Latin America too is, you know, it's got, it's quite a mix, right?

You've got some of the biggest companies in the world down there, you know, especially on the CPG side of things.

And then as well, you've got, you know, very, very, very small players.

How do you balance the needs of both of them?

How do you make sure that the CGF is genuinely serving the needs of all the constituencies in the region?

In the region, we design all our local initiatives together with the companies.

So, so with our members always around collaboration, so practical implementation.

So for example, depending on the topic, of course some companies bring value or cases and the others can learn from a new environment, from proven frameworks, from the peer learning.

So depending of the topic, I will say that our role is to create these kind of platform, to implement and to help all our members and to contribute and benefit all of them.

Okay, got it.

So one term I'm hearing, which is a term I've never heard before, and it is the Golden Design Rule.

Okay, that's what I've been hearing at this conference.

What is that?

Can you explain that to me?

Absolutely.

The Golden Design Rules are a set of design principles that the Consumer Goods Forum created in the global level to make the plastic packaging design to make more responsible, more easy to collect, to source, to recycle.

So what we do in the local level or in the region is to help our members to implement it.

And of course, as you say, there are a bunch of different size of companies.

What we do locally is that they are the ones who decide how to implement it.

So it's the global framework, but locally they decide when, how, priorities, markets, flexibility, of course, and speed.

And why is plastic circularity such an important part of your work down in Latin America?

It's very important because of course, the environment needed.

Right, right.

But also because we are facing, or most of the countries in Latin America are facing, strong regulations.

Okay?

Oh really?

So the regulations are stronger than that.

Or at least stronger than before.

Okay.

And while also working, companies are working to improve waste management and infrastructure.

So we are helping them to achieve that.

Got it.

So lastly, I'll get you out here on this.

So the other big topic of conversation here is AI, the Consumer Goods Forum.

There's entire sessions devoted to it.

I'm curious, from your perspective, being the expert on Latin America, where does AI sit in terms of being able to have an impact on Latin America?

Does it provide, is it kind of a leapfrog technology?

Say when you look at China and how they leapfrog a lot of technologies by way of mobile back in the day, are you looking at AI the same way for Latin America or how would you think about that?

AI is really important topic nowadays and in all the regions, I will say, and I believe it's very important in Latin America.

We, while not every company in Latin America has the same level of digital maturity, they are looking to implement and to scale and to develop.

But I think that the key here is do not replicate what the most mature countries are doing or markets have implemented.

But look, how can the AI help us in which of challenges or how to implement it locally?

Adapting the technology to our local realities and our local markets.

Yeah, it's a really interesting concept and point because like, you know, we've seen that happen in history where technology's enabled different geographies to leapfrog where they've been in the past.

And so the question becomes, you know, is Latin America that next place where that could happen?

Right, yeah.

Well, thank you, Erica.

Thank you.

It's a real pleasure meeting you.

Yeah, we don't get a lot of coverage of Latin America, so this has been really fun and enjoyable for me.

Okay.

Hope to see you soon.

Yeah, right.

For sure.

Well, thank you.

Thank you to Erica, thank you to the cgf, and thank you to Vuzion for helping make all of our coverage from the Consumer Goods Forum Global Summit in Vienna possible.

And as always, be careful out there.