Remarks by IICA representative at the Opening Ceremony of the 18th Caribbean Week of Agriculture

Remarks by Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, Director of Technical Cooperation, Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Head of IICA Delegation to the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), 2024

Date : October 7^th – 11^th, 2024

Venue : University of West Indies, Open Campus, Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Theme: Climate Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future

1. Caribbean Week of Agriculture was initially conceptualized in 1998 by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as a mechanism to place agriculture and rural life on the “front burner” of regional integration activities; and so doing, enable the key decision-makers in the public and private sectors to better accommodate issues pertaining to agriculture and rural life in economic, social and environmental development initiatives. CWA would provide a platform for the major stakeholders in agriculture and related sectors; to dialogue, share information and forge a common vision for the repositioning of agriculture and the enhancement of rural life in the Region.  CWA also provides a platform to address regional priorities, and game-changing solutions coming out of the Heads of Government meetings, the Special Ministerial Task Force and IICA’s Inter-American Board of Agriculture;

• This 18^th edition of the CWA is held here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines under the theme, Climate Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future. This theme draws attention to the extreme vulnerability of the Region to hydrometeorological hazards in particular, extreme weather events, rising surface and sea temperatures, seasonal shifts and their impacts on the productive sectors; and at time when we have experienced the highest temperature on the planet, with evidence on more frequent and severe impacts of climate change.

The theme is pertinent and reflective of the importance of the climate change threat and its consideration in development planning for the agriculture and rural sectors, based on the inherent vulnerabilities of the Region to climate change impacts, while at the same time, it highlights the need for scaling up adaptation and mitigation strategies geared towards building the resilience of actors and of agro-food systems.

• The integration of nature-based solutions and technology to mitigate shocks will leverage innovative approaches to agroecosystems such as regenerative agriculture, and the adoption of these climate-smart practices with emphasis on bio-economy, will create new opportunities for the future management and diversification of our socioeconomic development prospects. A key component of the regional agenda is the identification of new and sustainable models for access to finance, especially since member states are currently facing heavy debt burdens, rising price due to inflation and limited fiscal space; in addition to loss and damage as a result of the climate crisis. In this respect, IICA with the support of the Ministers and its partners have been advocating in the COP- UNFCCCC, for agriculture to be part of the solution to climate change. and of business case to mobilize climate finance for the sector, as well as for the creation of the loss and damage fund.
• IICA’s technical cooperation agenda for the Region is closely aligned to key regional thematic priorities, translated through seven hemispheric programs being: 1. Innovation and Bioeconomy-; 2. Territorial Development and Family Farming; 3. International Trade and Regional Integration; 4. Climate Action and Agricultural Sustainability; 5. Agricultural Health, Safety and Agrifood Quality; 6. Digitalization of Agrifood Systems; and 7. Gender Equality and Youth.  These programs are aligned with IICA´s Hemispheric Partnership initiative to forge collective actions for Food and nutrition Security and Sustainable Development in the region. Furthermore, IICA has a flagship Observatory on agriculture related policies and is currently working on a new narrative and generation of policies for the sector, considering the challenges of the hemisphere.

• IICA is also directly supporting efforts towards achieving CARICOM’s Vision 25 by 2025 through several targeted interventions, among them, direct support to the Special Ministerial Task Force in the implementation of regional development priorities; support to OECS Commission in the formulation and implementation of the Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) strategy; -step in the right direction when the global agro-food ecosystem is under treat including climate change which is the central theme of this CWA;  and disruption of supply chains which is reflected in increased cost of inputs and of food to consumers.  

IICA is also engaged in strengthening regional agricultural health and food safety systems, and specifically assisting the Region in dealing with the African Swine Fever,  Fusarium TR-4 and Cocoa Frosty Pod threats; the launch of flagship initiatives such as the Water and Agriculture Initiative, launched on September 27^th, 2023 in collaboration with representatives of key hemispheric institutions and countries, such as the Ministers of Agriculture, World Bank, CAF, IDB, UNECLAC, and the University of Nebraska, and, the Living Soils of the Americas initiative, which was launched in December 2020, and is spearheaded by IICA and  Rattan Lal Carbon Center at Ohio State University; with an objective to restore degraded soils and promote carbon farming. Furthermore, promoting digital agriculture and tools to strengthen agricultural extension; and the hosting of virtual trade missions aimed at promoting visibility and increasing market access for the products of regional agribusinesses.

• It is also important to highlight some key work we have achieved or is ongoing with CARICOM, amongst them: development of Biofortified rice and bean varieties with high levels of Iron and zinc.  We have recently successfully concluded the execution of the 11^th EDF SPS Measures project financed by the European Union; which sought to strengthen the SPS regulatory environment and build the capacity of countries to comply with trading requirements in EU and other international markets. We recently commenced the execution of the SPS component of the EU Food Security Programme for the Caribbean which seeks to address SPS bottlenecks impacting intra-regional trade.  Recently we launched the African Swine Fever Project which is to be implemented by IICA with funding from the USDA APHIS and which will seek to build capacity in the region to prevent, or mitigate, the impacts of an ASF outbreak in the region (beyond Hispaniola). We are also heavily focused on execution of  project initiatives under the Green Climate Fund to boost the readiness and responsiveness of regional agriculture to climate change.

• At this CWA we will launch the Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI-LAC) project. Specifically, the objective is to accelerate the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in accordance with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Also, we are launching an online Gender and Climate Change introductory course, opened to agricultural students and extension officers with an objective to build capacity using a gender approach.

• Women and youth in agriculture remains a priority area of focus for IICA as they are considered highly vulnerable, and in this vein, we continue our support for CANROP and other women’s organizations, producer organizations, youth in agricultural and youth organizations in the member states. We are indeed happy to be part of the process for the selection and financing of the award of a youth farmer of the year at this CWA 2024;

• Aligned to the theme of this CWA 2024, in July of this year, at its Executive Committee meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica, IICA launched the Hemispheric Fund for Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability in the Americas. This fund seeks to facilitate the participation of smaller countries with less economic clout in collective actions and this new IICA financial instrument, is to mobilize, manage and execute new financial resources, to improve the institutional, technical and administrative capacities needed to execute programs and projects to build the resilience and adaptive capacity of the agricultural systems of the Americas, while serving as a bridge to assist in urgently addressing high-impact events, such as health and environmental emergencies. We have already provided emergency support under this fund to Grenada, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Barbados who were the countries most impacted by the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl;

1. Currently IICA is working to Strengthen the agro-food ecosystem research and innovation system which is important to accelerate the implementation of the 25 x25 and FAST initiatives. Recently, FORAGRO was activated and soon, a platform of tropical AGRO-FOOD systems will be launched in which CARDI and national research centers in the Caribbean are key actors in the development of innovative technologies to increase productivity and resilient food systems.

1. IICA reaffirms its commitment to member states in promoting the sustainable development and agriculture and rural milieu as a collective endeavour with local, regional and international strategic partners. In this regard, we are especially grateful for the continued solid working relationship established with CARICOM, FAO, CARDI, CPSO, AACARI and others in the hosting of CWA.  We look forward to a hugely successful CWA 2024 and remain ready and willing to follow up on the commitments and decisions emanating from this important regional event.

Thank you!!.