From L-R: Executive Director of PISLM; Ronen Francis; Minister for Agriculture, Lands, and Forestry, Hon Lennox Andrews; IICA Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States, Gregg Rawlins.
Castries, St. Lucia, 17 March 2026 (IICA) – Lennox Andrews, Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry of Grenada, highlighted the importance of the support that the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has provided in the country for four decades and its current contributions to increasing the sustainability and climate resilience of Caribbean agriculture.
Andrews participated in the opening of the new office of the IICA Delegation in Grenada, where the Institute shares facilities with the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management.
“The Ministry of Agriculture fully recognises the strategic importance of this work. As a Government, we are committed to creating an enabling environment where our partners can operate effectively and remain fully engaged on the ground in Grenada. Facilitating accommodation and institutional support for organizations such as IICA and PISLM is part of that commitment. Physical presence matters. When our partners are here, accessible and integrated, collaboration becomes easier, coordination improves, and implementation is accelerated. We do not see these institutions as external actors. We see them as integral partners in achieving our national agricultural objectives,” the Minister stated.
The inauguration was also attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Isaac Bhagwan, along with other officials from that ministry and from the Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy, as well as representatives of other partner organizations.
Also present was the IICA Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States (of which Grenada is a member), Gregg Rawlins.
The Minister said the opening should be viewed as a “platform for renewed thinking and innovation. In the current geopolitical climate, the need for regional strategies, regional solutions, and regional cooperation has never been more pressing.”
He noted that “too often, small states look outward for answers to our food security and development challenges. While international partnerships remain vital, we must also look within – to our own institutions, our own technical capacity, and our own regional networks – to craft solutions that are suited to our realities.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry is currently collaborating with IICA Grenada on three key initiatives aimed at delivering meaningful support to key stakeholders in the sector.
One such initiative is the Water Resource Management and Improved Irrigation Project, being implemented in partnership with the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean. The project is expected to bring water to 25 farmers cultivating 75 acres of land in La Poterie, St. Andrew, through the construction of a rudimentary dam and the installation of four miles of pipeline.
In addition, the Ministry is working with IICA Grenada to provide funding and logistical support for the construction of a Seamoss Drying Facility and Packaging House in La Calome, St. David. The project, which is primarily funded by FAO, will see the establishment of three seamoss drying structures and the provision of a grinding machine to convert dried seamoss into powder.
A third initiative is also in the pipeline, with a Memorandum of Understanding being pursued between IICA Grenada, the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry, and the Rural Development Unit to support the development of the Grenada Association of Beekeepers. The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen the organizational and technical capacity of the association and further advance the apiculture subsector.
The Minister emphasized that the Ministry remains resolute in deepening collaboration with development partners, noting that “together, we can strengthen technical capacity, promote sustainable land stewardship, improve laboratory services, and ensure that our farmers, agro-processors, youth entrepreneurs, and rural communities receive the support they need to thrive.”
In his remarks during the opening of the office, IICA Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States (ECS), Gregg Rawlins, underscored the organisation’s enduring commitment to supporting Grenada’s agricultural development. He highlighted IICA’s four decades of partnership with the Government of Grenada, noting that the new office represents not just a physical relocation, but a renewed commitment to advancing technical cooperation, innovation, and sustainable agricultural growth.
“Today is more than just a change of address for the IICA Delegation in Grenada. It marks a new chapter in the story of IICA in Grenada – building on a legacy spanning more than 40 years of progress, and renewed commitment to our mission. This year, we celebrate 45 years of service to the agricultural sector in Grenada,” Rawlins remarked. “For the last four decades, the focus of IICA’s technical cooperation work in Grenada has been on strengthening agricultural resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability through strategic partnerships with national and regional institutions.”
Technical Specialist at IICA Grenada, Gregory Delsol, reflected on the practical impact of IICA’s work on the ground. He pointed to ongoing initiatives focused on capacity building, strengthening value chains.
“Our work spans agricultural health and food safety – including African Swine Fever preparedness and the EU-funded SPS project – alongside strengthening MSMEs to boost trade readiness and product quality. We also support territorial development and family farming through initiatives such as sea moss processing, irrigation upgrades, white potato research, and apiculture development. Together, these efforts advance innovation, climate resilience, and institutional strengthening to enhance Grenada’s food and nutrition security and agricultural transformation,” said Delsol.
The office, located at #594 Concordia House, Archibald Avenue, St. George’s, also serves as the Headquarters for the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), reinforcing collaboration among institutions working toward environmental sustainability and climate resilience in the region.
Executive Director of PISLM, Dr. Ronen Francis, said, “today marks far more than just the opening of an office, it marks institutional maturity, it marks political confidence and it marks a decisive step forward for Caribbean cooperation on land, soil and climate resilience.”
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
