Caribbean Week of Agriculture Archives - Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) 2021

Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2021 promises to be unique, game-changing

agriculture, COVID-19, Food Security, Food Systems, News, Uncategorized agriculture, Caribbean Week of Agriculture, CWA, food, Shaun Baugh

Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) scheduled for 4-8 October, promises to be a unique, game-changing event, according to Shaun Baugh, Programme Manager, Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development at the CARICOM Secretariat.

‘Transforming our food systems’ is the theme of the week of activities that reflects the food systems thrust that the world is now undertaking, given the current challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Baugh, who is the coordinator of the event, is warning that if we are not careful, we run the risk of moving from a health crisis to a food security crisis. To stave off such an eventuality, some of the activities of the CWA will focus on new ways of propagation, the use of climate smart technologies, new irrigation methods, and a showcase of the use and versatility of the Region’s foods.

The main collaborating agencies for the event are the CARICOM Secretariat, the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Regional institution such as the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CRFM) and the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) will also be involved.

‘Food availability, access, utilisation and stability must be addressed’ – Minister Mustapha tells Food Systems Forum

Climate change, Food Security, Food Systems, News, Sustainable Development Goals, Uncategorized agriculture, Caribbean food systems, Caribbean Week of Agriculture, climate change, food and nutrition security, food security, food systems, Pre-Summit for the United Nations Food Systems Summit, tourism, United Nations Food Systems Summit, Zulfikar Mustapha

**Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha during the UN Pre-Summit (Photo via DPI)**

The current food system makes ‘ultra-processed’ foods readily accessible, appealing and affordable, displacing more nutritious foods. Expanding the non-traditional agricultural sub-sector is therefore, critical for diet diversification and enabling equality in availability and access, especially for rural populations.” – Minister of Agriculture of Guyana, Zulfikar Mustapha

(Department of Public Information Press Release) Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, MP, says in order for countries to ensure safe and nutritious foods remain accessible, food availability, access, utilisation, and stability must be addressed holistically.

The Minister made this statement on Wednesday when he joined Ministers of Agriculture and other officials from around the world in a Pre-Summit for the United Nations Food Systems Summit.

Over 50 countries participated in the Pre-Summit, which was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In his remarks, Minister Mustapha said: “The current food system makes ‘ultra-processed’ foods readily accessible, appealing and affordable, displacing more nutritious foods. Expanding the non-traditional agricultural sub-sector is therefore, critical for diet diversification and enabling equality in availability and access, especially for rural populations.

Further, of growing concern is the need to reduce on-farm and post-harvest food loss and waste through adopting appropriate harvesting, post-harvest, and storage technologies.”

Following the onset of the pandemic, greater emphasis has been placed on building Guyana’s resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stresses. Minister Mustapha told the meeting that systems are being put in place to confront those threats, safeguarding the livelihood of farmers and fishers in the country.

“COVID 19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of our food production and distribution systems and exacerbated other challenges such as climate change.

Guyana must confront these threats to the livelihood of farmers and fishers by making its food systems more climate-resilient,” Minister Mustapha said.

CARICOM’s Position

Guyana holds lead responsibility for Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification, and Food Security in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The Caribbean Region is amongst the most vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change impacts and has been identified as the second most hazard-prone Region in the world.

Just recently, economies and food systems were impacted by the eruption of a volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, affecting Barbados and other neighbouring islands. Hurricanes left wind and flood damage in Barbados and other islands in the Eastern Caribbean, and Guyana and Suriname experienced unprecedented flooding that resulted in tremendous loss of crops and livestock.

“Actions to reposition Caribbean agriculture include strengthening linkages between the agri-food, tourism, and health sectors; establishing public-private partnerships in local food production and processing; implementing climate-smart technologies and transitioning towards digital agriculture.

Financing for mitigation and adaptation to climate change has become more critical today than ever before and is necessary to protect and transform Caribbean food systems. International support from international financial institutions, and bilateral partners will be critical to ensuring a more resilient agricultural sector through financing, technology, and creating an enabling global environment,” Minister Mustapha said.

The Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit has served as the preparatory meeting for the culminating global event which is scheduled for September 2021. It aims to bring together diverse actors from around the world to leverage the power of food systems to deliver progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the shared vision for people, planet, and prosperity.

It will consolidate all of the substantive work of the Summit into a common vision and set a tone of bold ambition and commitment to action. The Pre-Summit will deliver the latest evidence based and scientific approaches from around the world; strengthen coalitions of action; and mobilise new financing and partnerships. Through the Pre-Summit, the UN Food Systems Summit will reaffirm its commitment to promote human rights for all and ensure everyone, everywhere has the opportunity to participate. The event is open to all, with a small in-person component in the context of COVID-19, complemented by a vast virtual programme and platform.

Prioritising farmers, buying local, investment, key to transforming Caribbean Food Systems

Climate change, Food Security, Food Systems, News, Sustainable Development Goals Caribbean Week of Agriculture, CWA 2021, food security, food systems

Prioritising farmers, producing quality food and buying local, continuous and earlier exposure to agricultural science, and serious investment, are among the prerequisites for food security for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Those areas, as well as the reduction of the Region’s high food import bill, were highlighted during a virtual CARICOM Regional Food Systems Dialogue held on 28 May 2021. Farmers and farming organisations, policymakers, representatives of youth, women, the business community, civil society and the health sector, were among the participants at the four-hour event that was held to streamline regional positions ahead of the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit scheduled for September.

The CARICOM Secretariat organised the forum in partnership with the United Nations Resident Coordinators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). Ideas, solutions, and action plans emanating from the Dialogue will feed into the, as well as a pre-Summit event scheduled for July in Rome. Thematic areas under discussion were food security, climate resilience and finance and funding.

Transforming the Region’s food systems will be the focus of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture which will be held 4-8 October 2021. The focus reflects the acknowledgement of the peculiar challenges and opportunities which are now confronting the Region’s agricultural sector and which require a decisive solution-oriented response in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CWA 2021 set for October

Climate change, COVID-19, Food Security, Food Systems, News, Opinion, Uncategorized agriculture, Caribbean Week of Agriculture, climate change, CWA, food security, food systems, trade

Caribbean Week of Agriculture will be held 4-8 October this year.

Activities during the premier event on the Region’s agriculture calendar will focus on the theme ‘Transforming our food systems’.

The week of activities will be done virtually this year as the region continues to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. CWA was last held in 2018 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Preparations are underway for holding the events that will include a marketplace, statutory meetings of regional agriculture organisations, and a Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). There will also be webinars which will place the spotlight on creating resilience in the sector; rebounding from the pandemic; food security; climate change and enhancing intra-regional trade.