Ministry of Agriculture participated in Agriculture in International Trade Agreements (AITA) – special edition for CARICOM
Dr. Diandra Payne, one of the veterinarians attached to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Division recently participated in an online course and was a successful achiever. This FAO activity attracted many within the OECS including several from Antigua and Barbuda. This Virtual Course was held from 26 April to 24 May 2023, under the title, “Agriculture in International Trade Agreements (AITA) – special edition for CARICOM”
The general objective of this course was to provide tools that will enable participants to acquire and/or deepen their knowledge of international trade, and the main trade policy instruments related to agricultural trade for the Caribbean.
Additionally, there were specific objectives:
· To strengthen capacities for analyzing the international economic situation and policies related to international trade.
· To understand the different trade policy instruments, the functioning of the multilateral trade system and the development of mega-trade agreements and the implications for the agricultural sector.
· To become familiar with new international trade issues, especially those related to agriculture that have an impact on the Caribbean.
At the end of the tutorial phase, the participants were assessed and this was done via a series of evaluations. In addition, they had to participate in webinars and reflection forums. The final evaluation and passing requirements of the participants required a 60% passing grade and the following percentage scale was used:
· Approve: 60 to 100 points
· Fail: 0 to 59 points
In her remarks, Dr. Payne said, “It was a very detailed and interactive course providing a wealth of knowledge on International and Regional Trade, as well as the policies that affect Agriculture Trade with a special emphasis/focus on the Caribbean”.