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