Support reaffirmed for youth and female farmers in OECS

Eastern Caribbean ministers of Agriculture on a visit to IICA with rural youth and women from the region, maintain that fostering rural retention will play a decisive role in guaranteeing regional food security

The ministers noted that contributing to retaining youth in rural areas through public policies that foster improved living conditions will be key to guaranteeing food security in the region, which is one of the most vulnerable in the world, a release from IICA states.

The ministers are part of a study mission by more than 20 rural youth and women from the region to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in San Jose, Costa Rica, organized in collaboration with the 12-member Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), six of which are members of IICA.

During their four-day mission that will include training, the participants will also visit the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), the prestigious educational and scientific research institution, based in Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Participants include the Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy of Dominica, Roland Royer; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Samal Duggins; Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development of Saint Lucia, Alfred Prospere; Minister of Economic Development, Planning, Agriculture and Lands, Forestry, Marine Resources and Cooperatives of Grenada, Lennox Andrews; and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Saboto Caesar.

They were all welcomed by the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero.

The Argentinian veterinarian noted that, “This study visit is historic and will provide a unique opportunity for IICA staff to interact with the ministers of Agriculture, young people and women, with a view to strengthening our cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the OECS FAST Strategy, which is a top priority for the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the region”.

“The region, and in particular the OECS, has suffered more than its fair share of natural disasters in recent years, and at IICA we have set ourselves the specific task to respond quickly and decisively to commit human and financial resources to rehabilitate the affected countries, as well as to provide technical support to continually build the resilience of the region’s agri-food systems,” he added.

In recent years, the six IICA member countries in the region have benefitted from IICA’s assistance in response to disastrous events during the Otero administration, ranging from storms and hurricanes in Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis, to the devastation wrought by other natural phenomena, such as the eruptions of La Soufrière volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Grenada’s Minister, Lennox Andrews, noting that the small island nations of the Eastern Caribbean gained their independence from Britain during the 1970s and 1980s said that,“One of the reasons for seeking our independence was our objection to the financial agreement that the metropolis had with our islands”.

“We were essentially suppliers of raw materials, but without much economic activity. Since that time, the islands have been undergoing a transformation, establishing a solid economic base and creating a sense of pride and national patriotism among our people,” the Grenada Minister said.

Andrews added that the Eastern Caribbean countries consider agriculture to be one of the sectors that, when properly managed, will contribute to poverty eradication and reduced dependence on other nations.

As such, he described IICA as a key ally in developing the capacities of farmers and identifying correct strategies to build much stronger economies, through agriculture.

Alfred Prospere, the Saint Lucia Minister, spoke of the challenges facing Caribbean agriculture, identifying not only climate vulnerability but also an ageing agricultural labour population.

Prospere stressed that technology will be key to involving the youth.

“The traditional way of cultivation will not attract them. What will appeal to them are new approaches to agriculture, for example, using drones and information technology-based monitoring”

Director General of the OECS, Dr Didacus Jules said, “We are here to intensify the cooperation that we are providing and to take it to the next level. We came to offer training sessions to expose young people and women in agriculture to new technologies and methodologies, because food security and sovereignty are priority issues for us”.

He stressed how important IICA’s collaboration has been to the Caribbean and acknowledged that the region must redouble efforts to end its dependence on food imports.

And, SVG’s Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar, thanked IICA and the OECS for organizing the meeting, stating, “The energy, love and enthusiasm of the young people is infectious. It makes me feel that agriculture has regained its appeal. Rural youth today are leading the transition from monoculture farming—in which expansive tracts of land were devoted solely to bananas or sugar cane—to diversified agriculture. The young people who are coming up want to study agriculture at the highest level”.

Minister Caesar stressed improvements in transitioning from traditional production methods to those that are being developed by young people and that are capable of tackling plant and animal diseases more efficiently. He also highlighted IICA’s work in providing assistance to recover from more extreme and increasingly frequent climate events.