Trelawny, Jamaica, 1 October 2026 (IICA) – The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and Caribbean countries are making progress in deepening and designing various cooperation projects aimed at making agriculture an engine of development for the region and reducing dependence on food imports.
Within the framework of Caribbean Week of Agriculture—which is taking place in Jamaica with the participation of more than 600 delegates representing the region’s agricultural sector—IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim and his team advanced work plans with Caribbean Ministers of Agriculture, as well as with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and FAO.
Although challenges remain, the Caribbean public and private sectors are strongly committed to transforming agriculture and strengthening food security.
The Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) “25 by 2025 + 5 Vision” program aims to significantly reduce dependence on food imports by 2030 through increased production, greater investment and trade, and more dynamic regional collaboration.
Governments, farmers, businesses and civil society organizations have mobilized around this objective and have already made progress in various value chains.
As part of its 2026-2030 Medium-term Plan, which serves as the roadmap for its technical cooperation activities, IICA has committed to the initiative and designed a specific strategy for the Caribbean, which was discussed with regional agencies.
With a focus on this agenda, the IICA Director General held working meetings in Jamaica with Saint Lucia’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Sustainable Development, Lisa Jawahir; Saint Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Samal Duggins; Jamaica’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green; and Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Ravi Ratiram. He also met with OECS Director General Didacus Jules and the organization’s agriculture lead, Natasha Deterville-Moise, as well as FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean René Orellana.
Joining Ibrahim at the meetings were IICA Director of Operations and Regional Integration Curt Delice; Director of Technical Cooperation Valeria Piñeiro; and Senior Advisor Jorge Werthein.
The meetings addressed the implementation of projects aimed at improving crops and building the capacities of technical officers and young people through the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE).
Progress was also made on developing honey quality standards to enable production to be scaled up, as well as methods for testing edible seaweed for the presence of arsenic and other heavy metals.
Other issues addressed included the construction of storage facilities for fisheries, the promotion of backyard gardens and the development of water-harvesting models.
IICA offered to connect Caribbean Ministries of Agriculture with the Universities of Córdoba in Spain and Florida in the United States, leading academic institutions that are implementing cooperation projects with the Institute, as well as with the governments of Brazil and Argentina, with a view to deepening cooperation initiatives.
Representatives of the University of Florida are also participating in Caribbean Week of Agriculture and met with the IICA Director General to advance programs aimed at strengthening the region’s agricultural sector.
The meetings also focused on ways to strengthen infrastructure and agroprocessing capacities, as well as to diversify fruit production. Other topics included the production of biofertilizers and other biological inputs and the link between agriculture and rural tourism.
During the meeting with the OECS, Ibrahim and his team discussed the possibility of replicating in one of the Caribbean countries a hub dedicated to science, technology and innovation in agriculture, similar to the one launched in Guyana with the participation of the Government of Brazil and EMBRAPA, the country’s public agricultural research corporation.
The parties also discussed the continuation of the Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation Strategy (FAST Strategy) with the regional organization, which brings together 12 countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean. The 10-year roadmap was designed to strengthen food security.
During the meeting with the FAO Regional Representative, the parties reviewed joint efforts between IICA and the UN agency and explored opportunities to further intensify their collaboration in the Caribbean.
They also discussed technical aspects of joint efforts to combat transboundary diseases and pests affecting plant and animal production, as well as issues related to climate resilience, the adoption of innovation and financing for small-scale producers.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
