By: Staff Writer
October 10, 2023
The Caribbean Week of Agriculture(CWA), 2023 opened in The Bahamas with the Prime Minister touting a “boom” for agriculture in the region very soon, along with its minister for agriculture emphasizing that diversifying the agricultural crops will not only enhance food security, but will lead to better public health for the region’s citizens.
Philip Davis, KC, Prime Minister of The Bahamas said at the CWA opening that: “The need for more resilient agri-food systems looms large. This year, as you would have heard, CARICOM’s research suggests that 52% of the English-speaking Caribbean faces food security issues. The region has seen across-the-board food inflation in double digits over the past few years largely due to supply chain issues related to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. Our food systems and economies are also very susceptible to natural disasters and climate-driven extreme weather events.
“In the past year, the percentage of people facing food security issues has decreased. And we are well on our way to achieving the goal of reducing regional food imports by 25 percent by 2025. In fact, collectively, we have achieved 50 percent of this ambitious target. This represents a great stride forward when it comes to feeding ourselves and creating a sustainable agriculture industry.
The Caribbean is poised to see an agricultural boom. Even in historically difficult environments, we are seeing innovations that allow for sustainable farming practices – sustainable from a food production perspective, as well as a business model perspective.”
Mr Davis also said: “We are uniquely prepared to overcome the existing challenges. While the global community has recently come to terms with the fragility of international food systems, for us in the Caribbean, this has always been the reality.
“We need look no further than a few miles to the south at the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. In the 1800’s, Eleuthera was exporting millions of pineapples around the world. It is said that pineapples from Eleuthera were used to start Hawaii’s pineapple industry. However, due to soil exhaustion, pests, diseases, and international competition and trade laws, the booming global Eleuthera pineapple industry declined significantly.”
Jomo Campbell, minister for agriculture and marine resources, also said at the open of the CWA that climate change continues to be a crucial threat to the agricultural sector worldwide by destroying crops and forcing farmers to pass on costs to consumers down the line.
This year’s theme for the CWA, “Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025,” seeks to build consensus around a shared vision sustainable agriculture to meet the needs of people today. “Through our efforts, it is possible to make real and steady progress to reduce our imports by 25 percent by 2025,” Mr Campbell added.