The United Nations World Food Programme is proud to support the 2023 Caribbean Week of Agriculture. The fact that fifty-two percent of the English-speaking Caribbean is facing food insecurity according to the CARICOM/WFP food security and livelihoods survey, highlights the importance of this event.  Food insecurity has increased substantially in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean since April 2020. Shocks and crises over the last few years continue to reverberate on the food security and livelihoods of people. The COVID 19 pandemic, the climate crisis, supply chain disruptions, and the rising cost-of-living have forced people in the region to make difficult compromises in order to meet their food and other needs. These trends are underpinned by the ever-present threat of the climate crisis, which could be devastating for those already living in poverty and a tipping point for those on the margins. Lower income households continue to disproportionately face food security, livelihoods and market access challenges, risking widening the gap between those who can meet their basic needs without difficulty and those who are struggling to do so.

This year’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture provides a critical space for representatives from key sectors to turn will into concrete action to address issues of food security.  Action is needed to significantly improve access to and affordability of food for all through the CARICOM 25 by 2025 initiative. Bringing stakeholders together in this forum sparks innovative and transformative approaches which combine the collective skills and resources of multiple actors.

The CWA 2023 follows the global Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment which reiterated the need for sustainability and resilience of food systems. Through its collaborative structure CWA focuses on the power of partnerships to identify solutions to the challenges in the Caribbean.

WFP has been partnering with regional institutions and national governments to understand and track opportunities to advance regional food security. During this year’s CWA, WFP will act alongside regional, and international agencies to explore best practices and share lessons for strengthening finance, social protection, and agricultural systems to ensure consistent access to nutritious food for all members of society. In our collaborations we look forward to further defining strategies for addressing these gaps in the Caribbean. 

The decisions of CWA 2023, will take the Caribbean closer to reducing the risks linked to dependence on external sources for our food, increasing resilience to shocks and achieving the vision 25 by 2025.  We look forward to the exchanges at this year’s event and fostering new partnerships for the future of food security in the region.