THE Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) hosted a symposium on Monday evening to highlight the opportunities that exist in the value-added agricultural market for Guyana.

Director of IAST and Departments of Physics, Astronomy and Chemistry at Trent Biomaterials Research Centre, Trent University in Canada, Professor Suresh Narine.

The programme, at the Guyana International Conference Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, was themed ‘Wealth Generation, the Environment and Sustainability: How the Low Carbon Development Strategy fits in the growing trends in Green Technologies around the world’.

Among those who attended were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Minister of Housing and Water, Mr. Irfaan Ali; other Government officials and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Three insightful presentations were made by Director of IAST and Departments of Physics, Astronomy and Chemistry at Trent Biomaterials Research Centre, Trent University in Canada, Professor Suresh Narine; Professor Nissam Garti of the Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; and Professor Lech Ozimek of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta.

The last spoke about effective ways how Guyana can capitalise on value-added agricultural markers at low cost and the other two also sought to explain that markets can be created for new sustainable products, by growing crops without the need for high investments, such as botanicals, neutraceuticals, nutritional foods and pharmaceuticals.

From left: Professor Lech Ozimek of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta; Professor Nissam Garti of the Casali Institute of Applied Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana Mr. Tota Mangar.

Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, in introductory and welcoming remarks, attested that Guyana, today, holds the leadership position in articulating and advancing the LCDS approach to development which, fundamentally, addresses the issue of climate change.

He said, in the national context, it assures Guyana of a new generation of economic development and related activities.

“While many theories and models question the compatibility between climate change and economic expansion, President Jagdeo’s LCDS, in fact, presents a unique model of compatibility,” Persaud observed.

NEW WAY
He said an integral part of the LCDS is the development of renewable energy technology or green technology, as a means of promoting that new way of economic activities that the country badly needs.

Persaud said as recognised in the earlier National Development Strategy (NDS) and National Competitiveness Strategy (NCS), which are intrinsically linked to the LCDS, one of the ways in which the economy can be enhanced or expanded is the embrace of sustainable and economic development.

“And, certainly, it is one of the most important aspects of the LCDS and, at this point in time, one of our largest hopes for the future of Guyana’s development, especially in these uncertain global times,” he added.

Persaud said the LCDS also anticipates, promotes and proposes growth in agriculture, the non-traditional timber products sector and activities identified with tourism, information technology (IT), health and various other services as economic potentials.

However, he pointed out that this anticipated growth is centred on sustainable models and the growth of the value-added agricultural and non-traditional timber products can be managed in ways which ensure it is sustainable and climate change neutral.

Persaud said it is important to realise that the potential exists and will develop with or without immediate funding, although there is international momentum building.

He alluded to the Guyana and Norway Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the Port of Spain climate change consensus as clear indications of the international community recognising the importance of the approach this country has been advocating.

“For this and obvious reasons, this symposium is particularly timely and very important because it is targeted at highlighting the opportunities that exist in value added agricultural markets for Guyana,” Persaud said.

According to him: “It is important for us to realise that the dialogue taking place here this evening is one in which we will have to continue over the next decade, as we move towards the development of sustainable high value products, processes and markets for agricultural output and, in doing so, accelerate the diversification of the agriculture sector in Guyana, which can meet the needs for development and growth for the next generation and beyond.”

He said such discussions are not only about the Copenhagen meeting and current issues but setting “our sights on our vision and also the people of Guyana’s desire for a higher level of development and prosperity.”

Like Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), Mr. Tota Mangar, Minister Persaud commended Professor Narine and IAST for the initiative.

Conveying greetings from UG, Mangar lauded IAST for its vision and foresight in hosting the forum immediately after the just concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and only a few days before the Copenhagen, Denmark, summit.

GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS
He underscored that climate change and its global implications are undoubtedly the most talked about issues in today’s modern world.

“It is against the background of real threats posed by climate change and rising temperatures and the dire need for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that Guyana has, over the months, vigorously embarked on an LCDS, pioneered locally, regionally and internationally by our very dynamic and energetic President Bharrat Jagdeo,” Mangar stated.

He reminded that the strategy’s overall aim is to transform Guyana’s economy while combating climate change and intended to provide long term sustainability to improvements in the local social and economic sectors and the world at large.

Mangar said UG is making a meaningful contribution, having participated at the launch of the draft document in June this year, as well as hosted an impressive presentation and consultation exercise involving President Jagdeo at the Turkeyen Campus.

Manger said, more significantly, UG did a thorough critique of the draft LCDS, which it recently submitted to President Jagdeo.

“And we have every reason to believe some of our inputs were considered where the revised document for Copenhagen is concerned,” he said.

“It is no secret that Guyana’s LCDS is both a brilliant and pragmatic concept which has engaged the most vigorous and passionate advocacy of President Jagdeo,” Mangar noted.

He said it is also reassuring that it gained attention with Norway and Guyana pact, which was followed by the announced establishment of a global emergency fund to reduce the destruction of tropical rainforests by Britain’s Prince Charles and a pledge by the United States Government to contribute to a forests protection fund.

Closer home, Mangar observed that there is unified approach by the Amazonian countries, in relation to REDD (reduced emission from deforestation and degradation) and it took centre stage at the CHOGM.

He maintained that climate change is a reality, necessitating immediate and decisive action.

SIGNIFICANT NATURE
“UG is pleased to be associated with this symposium of such a timely and significant nature with presentations from highly qualified, internationally renowned and experienced scholars and professionals,” Mangar asserted.

Narine, for his part, acknowledged that Guyana has taken a leading role in this regard and there is a growing momentum in the world, recognising the importance of climate change.

“What we want to talk about today is not just about climate change. We want to talk about the opportunities that arise as we begin to realise that climate change is important,” he said.

He warned that this generation and others will have to grapple with a very serious problem and linked the whole catastrophic climate change situation to opportunities for the development of technologies and wealth generation, therefore improving the quality of life and poverty eradication through sustainable and green technology.

Narine agreed that the challenges being faced are mostly by developing countries and said: “As the developing countries begin to grapple, it is quite interesting that countries like Guyana, instead of complaining, have come up with a suggestion on a way forward.”

“Whilst we need, absolutely, to maintain the forested areas that we have, we also have to do more in order to abate climate change and the thrust of all that we are going to talk about today is about what else Guyana can do,” he said.

Narine said Guyana is poised, with all the parameters that are required, to take advantage of what he deemed a biological revolution.

“In addition to the leadership that we have demonstrated, with linking development and climate change and preservation of forest, there is what we would like to call a wonderful opportunity to also harness a new pathway towards development,” he posited.

Narine said crops can be manipulated to create materials, so that agriculture is the pivotal wealth potential of the country.