Transforming Food Systems Aligns With H2O Project

Charge d’Affaires of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Jamaica, Fredrik Ekfeldt, has underscored the value of transforming Jamaica’s food systems in relation to the Jamaican Path from Hills to Ocean (H2O) Project.

The €6-million project, which is being financed by the EU, aims to increase the country’s resilience to climate change and reduce poverty.

Mr. Ekfeldt explained that the project utilises an integrated and sustainable landscape management methodology “as part of an innovative approach to managing land, water, natural and agricultural biodiversity, as well as coastal and marine resources at three pilot sites”.

These sites are Wag Water and Rio Nuevo rivers in St. Mary; Rio Bueno River, Trelawny and the surrounding coastal wetlands and seagrass beds.

“The European Union is delighted that activities are now taking shape,” Mr. Ekfeldt said.

He was speaking at a recent consultation workshop on ‘Catalysing the Sustainable and Inclusive Transformation of Food Systems in Jamaica’.

Mr. Ekfeldt noted that the H2O project has two main objectives. “The first is to reduce the vulnerability of Jamaica’s ecosystems from the hills to the oceans, in accordance with a guiding principle of integrated sustainable landscape management. The second objective is to strengthen the resilience of communities within the targeted watersheds against adverse effects of climate change through integrated and sustainable landscape management,” he said.

The H2O Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

It aligns with the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, which aims to make food systems fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly.

The Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green Deal and represents an effort towards the sustainability of global food security.

Mr. Ekfeldt noted that H2O complements the organisation’s steady support for the development of Jamaica’s forestry sector.

“After three years here on the island, and having toured the countryside, the mountains, I must say I am mesmerised by the beauty of [the island’s] nature and richness of its forest. Looking to the future, building out more sustainable cities, will be the new area of focus for the European Union, which will undoubtedly generate new opportunities of sustainable reproduction and consumption of food in other areas. We look forward to engaging and working in partnership with the government of Jamaica on this,” he said.                                                                                                                                                      For details on the H2O Project, persons can visit the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) website at pioj.gov.jm.