Food Security, Climate Resilience to Take Centre Stage at CWA

Food security and climate-smart agriculture will be among the primary focus areas for regional stakeholders when they gather in Jamaica for the 20th staging of CARICOM’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA).

Being held from September 27 to October 2 at the Ocean Coral Springs Resort in Trelawny, under the theme The New FACE of Caribbean Food Systems,’ the six-day conference will feature high-level discussions and technical sessions aimed at accelerating transformation across the region’s agricultural and fisheries sectors.

Speaking with JIS News, Senior Director of Trade in Agriculture in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Shelleka Darby, said that the first day of the event will centre on food security under the theme ‘Transforming Regional Food Systems: A Case for Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025’.

“So, for that day, you have Ministers of Agriculture having practical and transparent conversations around the strategies that have been implemented, so far, the progress that has been made under the Vision 25 by 2025 plus five and the roadmap that has been laid for going forward into 2030, the challenges, opportunities and interventions across the region,” she said.

CARICOM’s Vision 25 by 2025 plus five is a regional initiative aimed at reducing the Caribbean’s extra-regional food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2030.

There will also be technical sessions addressing several areas critical to regional food production, including roots and tubers, animal genetics, ruminant production and value addition across the livestock sector.

Emphasis will be placed on technology and the role of the private sector in demonstrating practical solutions to challenges affecting agriculture.

“There are a list of technical sessions that are really private sector-led demonstrations around agricultural technologies, which is something I’m very excited about because it’s showcasing not just in dialogue but in demonstration, the level to which the region is going in terms of climate adaptation through technologies,” MPs, Darby said.

Areas to be examined include mobilising private investment in smart technologies to treat with long-standing issues like labour, and leveraging new technologies like automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity, efficiency and resilience.

Ms. Darby said the sessions will also explore ways to increase technology adoption among farmers and fishers, while addressing the productivity of priority crops and livestock.

To register for the conference and to access further details, persons may visit CWA2026.caricom.org.