Hon. Israel Bruce Urges Shift to Integrated Agricultural Investment Systems
Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Transformation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Hon. Israel Bruce, has lobbied for the transition from fragmented project financing to structured agricultural investment systems that can address the needs of people within small islands like his country.
Speaking during a Ministerial dialogue on Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Healthy Land and Drought Resilience, an event held during the 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), in Mongolia, Bruce cited the need for agricultural financing to have a practical framework for delivery.
“This dialogue goes beyond merely seeking additional funds. It is about creating a financing system that aligns with the unique challenges and opportunities facing our small island developing states. We are not just asking for more financial resources, but a smarter, more accessible financing solution,” he stated. He identified the need for this financing to move beyond projects but connect various attributes, including credit infrastructure, climate finance, water access, data systems and market development, into a practical framework.
“If we are serious about transforming agriculture, we must build investment systems that work for farmers and communities on the ground,” Minister Bruce said. “That means financing must be better prepared, better coordinated and better aligned with the real infrastructure, water, technology and market needs that determine whether agriculture can thrive,” he added.
The Vincentian Minister Bruce pointed to several existing building blocks that can support a more integrated approach, including the Zero Hunger Trust Fund, agricultural credit through the Farmers Support Company, infrastructure investment supported by the Caribbean Development Bank, and climate-related grant financing such as the Global Environment Facility.
These mechanisms, he noted, should not operate in isolation, but should be connected through a stronger national and regional investment pipeline that can prepare bankable proposals, reduce uncertainty for investors and make solutions more accessible to producers.
Hon. Bruce also underscored the importance of science-driven decision-making, including soil analysis, geospatial systems and reliable agricultural data, to guide smarter investment choices and reduce risk.
Minister Bruce ,further called on global financing frameworks to place greater emphasis on project preparation, noting that many high-impact agricultural solutions fail to advance because countries and institutions lack sufficient resources to prepare detailed, investment-ready proposals.
He urged development partners, climate funds and international financing institutions to support early-stage design, technical studies, feasibility work, data systems and proposal development so that countries can move from concept to implementation more efficiently.
“Smarter financing begins before the project reaches the funding table,” Minister Bruce said. “If the global system supports preparation, countries can bring forward stronger propositions, investors can make better decisions and communities can benefit from solutions that are practical, resilient and accessible.”
Minister Hon. Israel Bruce reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building a more resilient, data-informed and investment-ready agricultural sector, supported by partnerships that deliver tangible benefits to farmers, rural communities and the wider economy acknowledging the role of regional organisations like including the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management, that have been supporting the country to in advancing the objectives of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and strengthening the Caribbean’s shared response to land degradation, drought and climate vulnerability.
