CSIDS SOILCARE Phase 1

On Wednesday 17th August 2022, the “Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Multicountry Soil Management Initiative for Integrated Landscape Restoration and Sustainable Food Systems: Phase 1 or “CSIDS SOILCARE Phase 1” project was officially launched by the Permanent Secretary Mr. Colin O’keiffe on behalf of the of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs (MAFBA).
In his remarks, Mr. O’keiffe endorsed the project and extended gratitude to the efforts made by the Department of Environment and its partners, for their work in soil care in Antigua & Barbuda.
“MAFBA remains grateful-to and commends the Environment Division as they continue to support Agricultural Development through meticulous care and protection of our Soil and through critical collaborative efforts with Farmers and other Stakeholders towards improving access to and ensuring availability of vital water resources.”
The regional project is a joint venture between the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management (PISLM), Global Environment Facility (GEF), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the University of the West Indies (UWI)- St. Augustine, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and country governments. The eight (😎 participating countries include, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and St. Lucia and will be implemented over a period of 48 months, with a total project budget valued at $8,155,205 USD from the GEF, and co-financing in cash and in-kind from country governments, private sector, and non-governmental organizations of $25,797,816 USD.
Antigua & Barbuda, through the Department of Environment (DOE) contributed a portion of its GEF-7 Star Allocation to ensure the country’s involvement in the project to increase technical capacity building for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs to operationalize climate resiliency into its day-to-day operations. Project activities will comprise of interventions, both regionally across the participating countries and nationally, based on specific issue(s) identified by the respective participating countries.
The project’s implementation will enable participating countries to utilize updated country and regional soil data and knowledge, including on soil carbon, to make informed policy decisions regarding a national Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) strategy, sustainable soil and land management which will advance the climate agenda in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Through the project activities, country capacity will be strengthened, where- actions to promote integrated landscape management and restore degraded lands which will lead to the enhancement of food systems and promote food security.
Additionally, the project aims to create alternative livelihoods through the promotion of innovations in agriculture and livestock production systems and mobilization of the private sector through strengthened public-private partnerships to further assist in the nexus between climate change and agriculture. All the participating countries have ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and committed to actions that will combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030.