ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -The Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, says the agricultural sector in the subregion has been facing multiple problems for the last 15 years.
Addressing the inaugural OECS Youth in Agriculture (YIA) symposium, which ends here later on Friday, Jules said that the problems in the agricultural sector in the subregion have led to decline and contraction.
The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sr. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands.
“Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort to revitalize the sector, policies that encourage youth participation, innovation, and sustainable practices.”
He said that, recognizing “this worrying trend,” agriculture ministers from the OECS agreed that young people should be a priority pillar in implementing the OECS Food and Agriculture System Transformation.
Jules said that this “Fast Strategy” covers 2022-32. At their meeting in June last year, OECS ministers mandated the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission to develop a youth in the agriculture program.
“This symposium is a key component of that program, and the objectives of the Youth in Agriculture Symposium are ambitious but vital,” he said, noting that it provides for promoting the agricultural sector for youth involvement as well as encouraging and supporting youth involvement in all stages of the agriculture chain and raise the profile of youths already in agriculture to inspire others.
The OECS Commission said the symposium aims to connect the region’s next generation of agricultural leaders through discussions on innovation, tools, opportunities, and the conditions necessary to shape the future of agriculture.
The Dominica government, through its Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, is hosting the symposium with other partnering agencies, including the European Union through the Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) program, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management of Dominica, and World University Service of Canada (Caribbean).
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