Food and Nutrition Security
CARICOM Heads of Government will advance the Agri-Food Systems Agenda, prioritizing regional food and nutrition security. Under this agenda, the Caribbean Community has been accelerating efforts to cut the Region’s food import cost by 25% by 2025. The CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture (MTF), chaired by Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, has been driving policy initiatives to:
a. Reduce trade barriers to increase intra-regional trade.
b. De-risk the agricultural sector for alternative financing and insurance.
c. Improve regional air and sea transportation and logistics to support intra-regional trade and food security.
d. To diversify the agro-food system, support the growth of agro-industries and food processing MSME,
d. increase primary production of economically important crops like vegetables, corn, soya, and poultry.
e. increase public/private sector investment in production and research and development.
f. Implementing climate-smart agriculture can boost resilience and reduce production hazards. g. Digitalize the agricultural industry.
Vision 25 by 2025 has benefited from targeted actions by CARICOM Member States, such as the agreement on and preparations for a sub-regional ferry service, enhanced trade arrangements, self-sufficiency in particular agricultural produce, reductions in import permits, expansions of agricultural lands, the introduction of special breeding facilities, the promotion of backyard farming, increased public and private sector partnerships, and the participation of women and youth in agriculture.
Several policy initiatives have also been developed to buttress Vision 25 by 2025. These include: • CARICOM Regional Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) Policy and National Framework;
• CARICOM Trade Policy for Animals and Animal Products;
• Alternate Sanitary Phytosanitary (SPS) Dispute Resolution Mechanism; and
• 19 Special Guidelines for the Trade in Animal and Plant Commodities
a. Reduce trade barriers to increase intra-regional trade.
b. De-risk the agricultural sector for alternative financing and insurance.
c. Improve regional air and sea transportation and logistics to support intra-regional trade and food security.
d. To diversify the agro-food system, support the growth of agro-industries and food processing MSME,
d. increase primary production of economically important crops like vegetables, corn, soya, and poultry.
e. increase public/private sector investment in production and research and development.
f. Implementing climate-smart agriculture can boost resilience and reduce production hazards. g. Digitalize the agricultural industry.
Vision 25 by 2025 has benefited from targeted actions by CARICOM Member States, such as the agreement on and preparations for a sub-regional ferry service, enhanced trade arrangements, self-sufficiency in particular agricultural produce, reductions in import permits, expansions of agricultural lands, the introduction of special breeding facilities, the promotion of backyard farming, increased public and private sector partnerships, and the participation of women and youth in agriculture.
Several policy initiatives have also been developed to buttress Vision 25 by 2025. These include: • CARICOM Regional Agricultural Health and Food Safety (AHFS) Policy and National Framework;
• CARICOM Trade Policy for Animals and Animal Products;
• Alternate Sanitary Phytosanitary (SPS) Dispute Resolution Mechanism; and
• 19 Special Guidelines for the Trade in Animal and Plant Commodities
Supporting Vision 25 by 2025: CARICOM Secretariat staff members buying locally grown agri-produce at CCS Market Day, April 2024
Supporting Vision 25 by 2025: CARICOM SG Dr Carla Barnett buying grown produced fruits at CCS Market Day, Aril 2024
