BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched a regional agricultural project that is aimed at promoting and encouraging the use of climate-smart technologies in viable agricultural value chains
(File Photo)The “Gender Responsive Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems in the Caribbean,” project is being undertaken in partnership with the Canadian government and will run until il December 2028.
It will focus on climate change, youth and gender constraints in value chains and build capacity so that all value chain actors benefit from increased market access and increased incomes.
The project will be implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture in eight Caribbean countries and is intended to promote and encourage the use of climate-smart technologies in viable agricultural value chains in Belize, Grenada, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“We recognise the disproportionate impact of food and input price inflation, supply chain disruptions, and climate change in the Caribbean, which has exacerbated pre-existing food insecurity,” said Canada’s High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee at the regional launch event.
The project was originally announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Canada-CARICOM summit last October and Chatterjee underscored the importance of empowering women, describing them as “powerful agents of change” in achieving sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.
The Canadian diplomat said the project represents a major commitment under Canada’s feminist international assistance policy. It will develop inclusive, gender-responsive, climate-resilient value chains in the named Caribbean countries. It addresses challenges faced by producers and farmer organizations, such as weak business planning and limited access to finance.
FAO’s subregional coordinator for the Caribbean, Renata Clarke, stressed the project’s alignment with broader efforts to transform value chains in the sub-region, while project coordinator, Vermaran Extavour, outlined goals including the adoption of climate-smart technologies and improving community facilities with renewable energies to enhance food quality and reduce waste.
The initiative aims to build the capacity of women and youth producer organizations to run viable businesses within these value chains.
Since 2017, Global Affairs Canada has invested over CAD$2.5 billion in global agriculture and food programming.
High Commissioner Chatterjee expressed confidence that this project will complement other efforts to strengthen agricultural entrepreneurship and food systems in the region.
