Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agriculture

Producers realize the power of organization and its role in sustainable development

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

A national training event focused on the requirements for improving governance in producer, enterprise and member participation.

The training allowed the participants to revisit their own structures and to work to strengthen the weaknesses identified.

Antigua and Barbuda. Members of four producer organizations are now equipped to improve their governance and operational procedures, after receiving training in Antigua and Barbuda from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The objective of the training was to help participants to realize the power of organization and its role as a vehicle of sustainable development for the agricultural sector. 

The activity helped to familiarize participants with key principles of good governance, pinpoint weaknesses in their present governance structures, and highlight areas for improvement of governance within their respective organizations.

A total of 14 participants were drawn from the Antigua and Barbuda Network for Rural Women Producers/Agro-Processors (ANBNROP), Antigua and Barbuda Agriculture Forum for Youth (ABAFY), Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFan), South Central Farmers Network (SCFNW). Also present were technicians from the Ministry of Social Transformation and Human Resource Development – Community Division and the Ministry of Agriculture Land, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs (MALFBA), who regularly work with those groups.

The training was supported under IICA’s flagship project on Competitiveness and Sustainability of Agricultural Chains, and the Agriculture Policy Programme (APP) of the 10th European Development Programme (EDF). 

 

An interactive training event

The participants in the two-day event are now equipped to:

  • Understand the role and fundamentals of good governance within an organization
  • Understand the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors;
  • Understand the roles and responsibilities as individual members of the organizations;
  • Apply skills and knowledge for enhanced participation in the governance of their organization.  

The National Value Chain Facilitator (NVCF) for Antigua and Barbuda, Pamella Thomas, said that the workshop had been very insightful, particularly with respect to the Local Producers Organizations Governance system.

“It allowed the participants to revisit their own structures and to work to strengthen the weaknesses identified, as well as to further reinforce their strong points”, she said.

 

More information:

craig.thomas@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Granada e São Vicente e Granadinas

March 6, 2025

Along with Chile and Uruguay, IICA strengthens food security in Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with donations of seeds, broiler chickens and laying hens

These contributions, obtained through the Institute’s partners in Chile and Uruguay, are part of the specialized agency for agricultural and rural development’s efforts to rebuild the agriculture sector in the wake of the devastation in the island nations caused by Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Kingston, Jamaica; Saint John’s, Antigua Y Barbuda; Castries, ST Lucia

March 5, 2025

IICA launches NextGenSP project, aimed at revitalizing sweet potato production to boost food security in the Caribbean

The initiative, which will address critical challenges to sweet potato production, aims to unleash the crop’s full potential to improve food security in the region.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San Jose, Costa Rica

March 3, 2025

IICA is launching the third edition of the Minecraft Education Challenge for Agriculture, aimed at young peopleand designed to promote food production in urban environments

The aim of the 2025 Minecraft Education Challenge is to find creative alternatives in the areas of vertical agriculture, the use of technology for food production in small spaces, agriculture on green roofs, flat roofs and balconies, hydroponics and aeroponics in urban environments, community agriculture, and sustainable urban gardens.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins