The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is pleased to join the CARICOM Secretariat, and regional development partners to celebrate the Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2023. This is the first time that we will gather in person since 2018 and we anticipate a highly successful event.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025”, FAO has placed emphasis on enabling the transformation of the agricultural sector to deliver on this vision.

FAO Caribbean will host 2 high-impact roundtable discussions.  Roundtable panelists will deliver 8-minute presentations on solutions being implemented in the Caribbean or globally.  Most of the session will be reserved for exchanges between the panelists and the participants.  The discussions are intended to stimulate interest and increased uptake of innovative solutions.  

Our first roundtable is “Driving Efficient and Inclusive Value Chains”.  This roundtable will feature presentations on: the business case for producing high value crops in protected cultivation systems; opportunities for the introduction of off-grid cold chains and technologies to enhance market opportunities and to reduce food loss and waste; novel processes for locally produced animal feed; and strategies for mobilizing private sector investment in value chain development. 

The second roundtable on “Achieving resilience and sustainable Natural Resource Management” is focused on building resilience to climate change and the impact of external shocks affecting production and productivity.  Presentations will look at: strategies for the management and conservation of Agricultural genetic resources; innovative approaches to water treatment and management; mechanisms for increasing resilience of fisher-folk; and digitalization opportunities that strengthen disaster risk management. 

FAO will also be delivering a seminar on an adapted methodology for monitoring the Cost and affordability of a Healthy Diet (CoAHD). The recent increases in food insecurity in the region and our high vulnerability to external shocks underlines the importance of having a tool which governments can use to monitor the cost of a healthy diet and take informed action to address food security needs. An FAO project to implement the methodology will be launched before the end of the year.

FAO Caribbean is also collaborating with other development partners to host sessions including a Youth Forum with the CARICOM Secretariat, Digitalization in Agriculture with the OECS and IICA as well as the status of Water Security in partnership with IICA.   

Finally, as we prepare for our regional conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC 38), which will take place in Georgetown, Guyana in March 2024, we plan to meet with the Ministers of Agriculture for the Caribbean region during the CWA.  Our discussion will focus on CARICOM Expectations from FAO and the advancement of 25 x 25 agenda.

FAO extends gratitude to all partner agencies who are working diligently to plan, produce and execute what is expected to be one of the most high-energy CWA we have attended in years.   

We look forward to meeting up with you in the Bahamas!