KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica says partnerships remain the key to addressing current issues and creating a sustainable agricultural future for the Caribbean.
“How can we ensure that more of our small, older farmers have access to the water they need to move their agriculture enterprise forward? How can we ensure they plan with the new climate change realities at the forefront?
“Do they have access to resources like climate-smart agriculture and protected agriculture? How are we utilizing our partnerships to change the farmer’s reality in Guyana, Grenada, Bahamas, St. Vincent, Jamaica, and the entire region?” asked Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining Minister Floyd Green.
Green, addressing the high-level ministerial meeting for Caribbean agriculture ministers and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said he was looking forward to leaving the session with a credible plan “that will give us some timelines and will point us in the direction of funds that we will mobilize to start the implementation.”
He told delegates that the event comes at a “great time,” as Jamaica has just been elected Chair of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC).
“We will lead about our fisheries sector for the next two years. So, it is a great time for us to align our priorities to ensure that the region is truly maximizing our potential and, ultimately, that our farmers and fishers are seeing a better life through our actions here today,” Green said.
FAO Assistant Director General Mario Lubetkin said the United Nations organization is committed to improving food security and nutrition in Caribbean countries.
He said that technical cooperation projects have been developed to support the national chapter of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) 2030 Food Security and Nutrition Plan.
“I want to draw attention to the CARICOM 25 by 2025 Initiative. It is commendable how much effort has been put into achieving a 25 percent reduction in extra-regional food imports by 2025, with high-level political support,” he said, adding that the FAO has put significant effort into helping countries access climate financing.
Over the past four years, FAO assisted in approving approximately 10 Global Environment Facility projects and 10 Green Climate Fund projects.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Franklin Witter, said that agriculture is a significant economic pillar of the Caribbean.
“Tourism, another major pillar, depends heavily on agriculture to thrive. Unfortunately, the Caribbean region has several challenges that impact the sector. One significant challenge is the availability of water and the requisite irrigation infrastructure, which is increasingly exacerbated by the issue of climate change,” Witter said.
He said that the region must collaborate so that the Caribbean can agree on solutions to address common challenges.
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