{"id":18247,"date":"2026-10-01T15:12:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T15:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/?p=18247"},"modified":"2026-10-01T15:12:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T15:12:01","slug":"speaking-at-caribbean-week-of-agriculture-in-jamaica-the-iica-director-general-renews-the-organizations-commitment-to-regional-development-and-calls-for-stronger-partnerships-to-strengthen-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/2026\/10\/01\/speaking-at-caribbean-week-of-agriculture-in-jamaica-the-iica-director-general-renews-the-organizations-commitment-to-regional-development-and-calls-for-stronger-partnerships-to-strengthen-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaking at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Jamaica, the IICA Director General renews the organization\u2019s commitment to regional development and calls for stronger partnerships to strengthen agrifood systems"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>Speaking at Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Jamaica, the IICA Director General renews the organization\u2019s commitment to regional development and calls for stronger partnerships to strengthen agrifood systems<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Trelawny, Jamaica, 28 September 2026 (IICA) \u2013 The Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Muhammad Ibrahim, participated in the opening ceremony of the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA). There, alongside senior officials of that country, he renewed the organization\u2019s commitment to developing the region, with agriculture playing a central role.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The event, which is being held under the banner \u201cThe New F.A.C.E. of Caribbean Food Systems,\u201d will continue until Friday, 2 October. Jamaica\u2019s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, Floyd Green, also spoke at the opening.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Also addressing the gathering was Assistant Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Wendell Samuel.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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More than 670 delegates from 34 countries are attending the event. IICA has always provided support for CWA, which was first staged in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999. Since that time, it has experienced formidable growth and is now the main strategic forum for debate on the Caribbean agricultural agenda.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The activity began with an appeal to deepen cooperation to transform agriculture into an engine of development for the Caribbean region. Jamaica is hosting CWA less than one year after Hurricane Melissa devasted the country, yet, in the aftermath, the agriculture sector has shown an immense capacity for recovery.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Prime Minister Holness stressed that, \u201cAgriculture in the Caribbean should no longer be seen simply as a rural occupation, but as an industry with significant potential to generate innovation, build wealth, contribute to economic development, and attract youth.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe need to increase productivity must be the main driver of agricultural policies. A more productive sector will allow farmers to earn more income, consumers to benefit from food of a higher quality at a lower price, and exports from the region to increase,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Jamaican Prime Minister also emphasized the need for a sustained commitment to create conditions that will enable farmers to become increasingly competitive, by mobilizing investments, building trade partnerships, and generating opportunities in the value chain.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Holness then spoke about the digital transformation of agriculture, warning that innovation must be accessible to all farmers and not only to large producers: \u201cWe must ensure financing so that everyone can benefit from advances in agricultural science and new technologies.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The IICA Director General explained that IICA, which works together with CARICOM, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and other regional agencies, has developed a specific strategy for the Caribbean, in keeping with its 2026-2030 Medium-term Plan.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe recognize the challenges facing the region in relation to agricultural financing, and therefore make available IICA\u2019s technical capacity, financial resources, and strategic partnerships to manage external resources aimed at implementing regional and national agrifood initiatives,\u201d stated Ibrahim.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Director General of IICA reported that the hemispheric agency is currently implementing several programs in the Caribbean that are aimed at supporting the \u201cVision 25 x 2025+5\u201d initiative, which seeks to considerably reduce the region\u2019s dependence on food imports.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ibrahim also referred to the critical challenge posed by an aging rural population coupled with a shortage of agricultural professionals. He noted that IICA was addressing this challenge by actively delivering training in the Caribbean and mobilizing resources to develop strategic partnerships with leading institutions such as the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), based in Costa Rica.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Director General also pointed out that IICA had recently facilitated the signing of a letter of intent between the governments of Guyana and Brazil to establish a Caribbean Center for Agricultural Science, Technology, and Innovation, which will seek to accelerate the deployment and expansion of technologies, strengthen scientific capacities, and promote innovative solutions tailored to tropical agriculture.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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For his part, Minister Green highlighted the remarkable resilience of Jamaica\u2019s agriculture sector following the unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Green considered it crucial to transform dialogue into action and listed key issues for Caribbean agriculture, including building financing structures to provide capital to the rural sector, research aimed at producing inputs such as organic fertilizers, and facilitating food trade and transport between countries in the region.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cCaribbean agriculture has great potential because of its people and knowledge. However, we need a new approach to deepen cooperation and ensure that expectations are met,\u201d he concluded.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Caribbean Week of Agriculture is attended by farmers, entrepreneurs, public policymakers, regional leaders, and rural youth and women. The event will shine the spotlight on four key issues: food security, climate-smart technologies, export expansion, and agribusiness.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The event, which features seminars, key meetings, and field visits, is organized by CARICOM and IICA, together with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and FAO.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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About IICA<\/div>\n
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.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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More information:<\/div>\n
Institutional Communication Division.<\/div>\n
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int<\/div>\n
Press release online: https:\/\/iica.int\/…\/speaking-at-caribbean-week-of…\/<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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