CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) says it is involved in a project aimed at strengthening sweet potato production and preserving vital genetic resources across the Caribbean.
It said that the initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the national ministries of agriculture in Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and St. Lucia, along with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), is gaining momentum under the Next Generation Sweet Potato Production in the Caribbean Project.
The project is actively engaging stakeholders through a Community of Practice with technical specialists in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
IICA said that recent online theoretical and practical training activities brought together 73 agricultural professionals from academia, technical missions, and the public and private sectors to identify, morphologically characterize, and catalog sweet potato varieties.
It said that these sessions, conducted in collaboration with the International Potato Center (CIP), form part of a broader regional initiative to improve crop genetic diversity, strengthen seed systems, and enhance climate resilience in sweet potato production across the Caribbean.
The participants first engaged in five virtual sessions focused on the 30 internationally recognized descriptors used to identify key traits, such as leaf shape, vine characteristics, and root features, of sweet potato genetic resources, before applying their knowledge in practical field exercises across four participating countries.
In Antigua and Barbuda, officials noted that approximately 73 sweet potato accessions are currently documented, with an additional 19 varieties expected to be introduced under the Next Generation Sweet Potato Production in the Caribbean project, through collaboration with CIP, further expanding the country’s genetic base.
The project equips agricultural professionals with the skills to identify and conserve valuable genetic resources for better utilization, while supporting farmers in adopting high-performing, climate-resilient varieties. These efforts are expected to contribute to improved food and nutrition security across participating countries.
Funding is provided through the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with co-financing from the European Union.
The four-year initiative continues to foster regional collaboration and knowledge sharing, building a strong community of practice to support sustainable sweet potato production across the Caribbean.
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