Caribbean Industrial Research Institute and IICA partner to boost agrifood development in the region

6th March 2019

Caribbean Industrial Research Institute and IICA partner to boost agrifood development in the region

Both entities signed a cooperation agreement that will pave the way for

positioning agroindustry as a driver of sustainable economic progress,

prompting improvements in the quality of life of people in the

Caribbean.

CARIRI’s Executive Manager of Corporate Services, Meghnath Gosein,

and IICA’s Representative in Trinidad and Tobago, Gregg Rawlins.

San José, 6 March 2019 (IICA). The Inter-American Institute for

Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Industrial

Research Institute (CARIRI) signed a general cooperation

agreement that will focus on developing actions to strengthen the

agriculture sector, the food industry, and agribusinesses in the

Caribbean, in areas such as food security and trade.

The agreement, signed by Meghnath Gosein, CARIRI’s Executive

Manager of Corporate Services, and IICA’s Representative in

Trinidad and Tobago, Gregg Rawlins, will promote technology-,

management-, and organizational development-related initiatives,

in order to fast-track improvements in agriculture, the production

of agricultural products and the revitalization of rural areas in the

Greater Caribbean region.

Rawlins remarked that, “The skills and competencies of both

institutions will complement each other, as we work to strengthen

micro, small and medium-sized agricultural businesses, not only

in Trinidad and Tobago, but also in other countries in the

Caribbean region”.

Gosein commented that, having enjoyed an institutional working

relationship of more than a decade, the formalization of the IICA-CARIRI partnership is “timely and will undoubtedly benefit the Caribbean economy”. Together, both institutions have implemented initiatives linked to capacity development in micro, small and medium enterprises in the Caribbean, prioritizing health and food safety and competitiveness. This strategic synergy will allow IICA to prioritize its technical cooperation actions in the region, by addressing the need to develop young, competitive agricultural entrepreneurs, who can place their food and non-food agricultural items in local markets, directly and indirectly responding to the needs of agricultural enterprises. Rawlins went on to explain that, “In keeping with IICA’s efforts in international trade and regional integration, the Delegation in the country will work with partners to support the transformation of agricultural businesses in Trinidad and Tobago – to make them resistant, innovative, and competitive, with products that are ready for the primary markets and with a focus on regional exports”. The formal agreement with the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute will be critical to achieving this goal. About CARIRI This organization specializes in providing services to the media and industrial actors in the areas of industrial materials, food, biotechnology, environmental management, analytical chemistry, petroleum, calibration, business development, innovation, information technology and communication, and technical information. These services complement and enhance IICA’s technical cooperation in the five strategic areas of focus of its 2018-2022 Medium Term Plan, for the development of agriculture in the Americas. About IICA IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture in the Inter-American system, with a mission to encourage, promote and support its 34 Member States in their efforts to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being through international technical cooperation of excellence. More information: Diana Francis, International Specialist in Policy and Regional

Programming, IICA Trinidad and Tobago Office. diana.francis@iica.int