Caribbean Week of Agriculture SVG 2024
Preparations are underway to host the 18th edition of CARICOM’s premier agricultural event, the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), from 7-11 October at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
This year’s theme ‘Climate-Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future’ is aligned with the objectives of the 25 by 2025 Initiative to reduce the Region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025 and to transform regional food systems to be more resilient and sustainable.
The five-day event will feature workshops and seminars coordinated by partners in regional agriculture. Through these sessions, participants will benefit from the exchange of information and best practices on safeguarding agriculture in a changing climate; climate-smart fishing with a focus on sargassum; young people as champions of regional food systems; food security and nutrition; women farmers’ pathways after Hurricane Beryl; digital agriculture in the Caribbean; and human resource development in the sector.
Commenting on the CWA, Dr. Carla Barnett, CARICOM Secretary-General said: “In alignment with the goals of CARICOM’s 25 by 2025 Initiative, CWA 2024 adopts a pragmatic approach, focusing on key climate change matters which are crucial to securing food, and increasing sustainable production, adaptation and mitigation. Seminars will focus on actions, solutions and innovative technologies to enhance the resilience and sustainability of agrifood systems against extreme weather events.”
This year’s CWA is intended to coordinate efforts to reduce the impact of climate change on food production systems and encourage investment in climate-smart actions. The event will serve as a platform to engage key stakeholders in agriculture in both the public and private sectors, and foster partnerships that are crucial for sustainable agricultural development.
“The CWA is a true testament of the level of commitment and value that the Region places on food and nutrition security. The Region is energized and ready to secure its future and play its role in achieving zero hunger,” said Mr. Shaun Baugh, Programme Manager, Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development, CARICOM Secretariat.
The week will feature the launches of the Comprehensive Action on Climate Change (CACCI) Project by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Tree-Planting Initiative by the Agriculture Alliance of the Caribbean (AACARI).
Helen’s Daughters – a Saint Lucia-based non-profit organisation that works to empower rural women – will also launch a documentary titled ‘Roots of Resilience: Stories of Caribbean Women in Agriculture’.
One of the highlights of this premier activity is the Trade Show and Expo which promotes agri-businesses, knowledge-sharing and exploration of modern technologies in the sector which will be held at the Kingstown Cruise Ship Terminal.
High-level ministerial and board of directors’ meetings of regional institutions and a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development on Agriculture will also be convened over the five days.
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture was conceptualised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as an opportunity to place agriculture and rural life on the front burner of regional integration activities and in doing so enable:
- the key decision-makers in the public and private sectors to better acknowledge the importance of agriculture and rural life to the economic, social, and environmental stability of the region; and
- for the major stakeholders in agriculture and related sectors to have an opportunity to dialogue and forge a common vision for the repositioning of agriculture and the enhancement of rural life.
The CWA is convened under the aegis of the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu (The Alliance). From the inaugural meeting in 1998, the two main collaborating agencies were IICA and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.
In 2002, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) joined IICA and CARICOM to establish a core group which functions as the Secretariat of The Alliance. Since then, the four agencies have collaborated on the management and logistics necessary for the convening and servicing of meetings of The Alliance as well as the myriad of activities during the CWA.
In 2003, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) became a major partner and sponsor of the CWA activities.
To date, there have been 17 successful editions of the CWA. The first CWA was held in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999. Last year, it was held in The Bahamas under the theme ‘Accelerating Vision 25 By 2025.’
