In Jamaica, during the Caribbean’s leading agricultural forum, IICA Director General joins ministers in promoting access to science and technology in the region and discusses pest and disease prevention with the United States

In Jamaica, during the Caribbean’s leading agricultural forum, IICA Director General joins ministers in promoting access to science and technology in the region and discusses pest and disease prevention with the United States
Together with Ministers Lisa Jawahir of Saint Lucia; Floyd Green of Jamaica; Shantal Munro-Knight of Barbados; and Rodwell Ferguson of Belize, Ibrahim participated in a dynamic panel that reviewed progress in implementing the “25 by 2025 + 5 Vision” program, as part of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture.
Trelawny, Jamaica, 30 September 2026 (IICA) – The incorporation of science and technology in rural areas of the Caribbean is becoming a reality through the joint efforts of countries in the region and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), said the organization’s Director General, Muhammad Ibrahim.
This is the 20th edition of the event, which brought together 670 delegates from 34 countries. It underscores the importance of agriculture and rural life to the economic, social, and environmental stability of the countries of the region and serves as a platform for integration, with agriculture as a common vehicle.
IICA is one of the organizers of Caribbean Week of Agriculture, together with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and FAO.
The event was attended by Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who met with IICA’s Director General together with his Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, Floyd Green.
As rural areas of the Caribbean gain greater access to science and technology, “innovation is becoming a pillar of the regional strategy aimed at increasing productivity and resilience and reducing Caribbean countries’ dependence on food imports,” said the IICA Director General.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Holness and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining Floyd Green, Ibrahim provided details on IICA’s efforts to strengthen its cooperation with Jamaica and support the country in its efforts to promote sustainable agricultural development and strengthen resilience in rural areas.
Separately, Muhammad Ibrahim and his team in Jamaica met with officials from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS) to review the agenda on transboundary diseases in the hemisphere, with special emphasis on the Caribbean.
During the meeting, Ibrahim reaffirmed IICA’s commitment to strengthening its technical capabilities to address transboundary diseases such as African swine fever (ASF) and New World screwworm (NWS).
Science and technology and cooperation with Argentina
With the presence of Ministers of Agriculture from the region and representatives of international organizations, rural youth, and rural women, Ibrahim provided details on how IICA is advancing the use of biotechnology to improve crops.
He also discussed gene-editing trials, improved water-harvesting practices and regenerative agriculture focused on soil health. One concrete example he cited involved cooperation projects with Argentina aimed at introducing technology into activities such as dairy production and beekeeping in the Caribbean.
The incorporation of science and technology is crucial for the region given the countries’ inherent vulnerability to economic and weather-related shocks, which typically have severe consequences for Small Island Developing States.
The panel in which Ibrahim participated alongside Caribbean Ministers of Agriculture discussed progress in implementing the “25 by 2025 + 5 Vision” program, which seeks to reduce the region’s dependence on food imports and has been extended through 2030.
The discussion focused on developing practical solutions to strengthen production and productivity, increase intraregional trade, attract investment and build climate resilience.
The discussion reflected that, while challenges remain, there is a strong commitment throughout the region to transforming food systems and building a more competitive agriculture sector. The experiences shared highlighted the value of collaboration, innovation, investment and regional solidarity in achieving common goals.
Ibrahim explained that one of the critical issues IICA is addressing in the Caribbean is access to fertilizers, against a backdrop of growing complexity in international trade dynamics and rising prices. He revealed that discussions are underway with Trinidad and Tobago to advance the production of biological inputs, such as biofertilizers and biopesticides, in that country.
The IICA Director General also mentioned the importance of addressing access to financing, particularly for small- and medium-scale farmers.
IICA is working with multilateral lending institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank to bridge the gaps that hinder access to innovation. In this regard, it is one of the international organizations supporting the World Bank’s AgriConnect initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean, which seeks to improve the full integration of family farmers into markets, particularly through greater digital inclusion and other new solutions.
The IICA Director General also spoke of the need to focus on what he called social innovation, which must accompany technical innovation as an essential component of agricultural transformation.
In this regard, he stressed that results should not be measured solely in terms of whether a new technology is adopted. Attention must also be paid to how farmers organize to use it, share its costs, and leverage it to capture value from markets. Achieving these objectives, Ibrahim explained, requires the creation of innovation platforms where producers, researchers, extension services and financing institutions work alongside small- and medium-scale farmers to overcome the barriers that hinder the scaling up of technology use.
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:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int