Hon. Saboto Caesar in commending a draft resolution for greater partnership between the Andean and Caricom regions, expounded on the “necessity” of such an initiative to production and integration in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Ministers of Agriculture and Senior Officials from the CARICOM Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) and CAN Member States (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) with the Director-General of FAO, the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Secretary-General of the Andean Community (CAN), at a meeting in Quito on Thursday, March 31st, 2022, agreed to establishing a partnership framework for the advancement of food production in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The authorities who attended the meeting on the sidelines of the 37th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, agreed to the establishment of a permanent consultation forum between CAN and CARICOM Ministers of Agriculture, to facilitate dialogue and collaboration on areas of common interest for both regions, as well as an active exchange of experiences and best practices on how to address and accelerate the challenge of transforming the agri-food systems at the regional and national levels.
The initial issues identified in the meeting, include: (a) the benefits of increasing agri-food trade between the Caribbean and the Andes; (b) promotion and development of innovations and digital technologies to increase the access to financial services in the agricultural sector and to accelerate rural financial inclusion, expand economic opportunities for the rural youth, and increase the use of digital and geo-satellite information systems to monitor production and climate change; (c) the value of implementing a Code of Conduct for responsible fishing; (d) the exchange of experiences on policies and regulatory frameworks to guarantee safe, healthy and nutritious diets; and (e) the need to effectively address plant diseases and animal pests affecting the Andean and Caribbean agri-food systems.
The participating authorities requested the FAO to provide the necessary support to the permanent consultation forum, as the topics to guide the consultations are fully aligned with the main pillars of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 and with the FAO regional priorities.
The Secretary General of Caricom, the Ministers of Agriculture of Guyana and St. Vincent and the Grenadines presented on behalf of Caricom.
The participants thanked the Government of Ecuador and its Minister of Agriculture, for graciously hosting this meeting.
