CARICOM’s Programme Manager for Agriculture and Industry, Mr. Sergio Garcia, is of the view that the advancement of the Jagdeo Initiative is dependent on strong leadership at the level of the Technical Management Advisory Committees (TMACs).
In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, he pointed out that not all TMACs are as active as others and maintained that the progress of any initiative is not dependent on the Secretariat alone, but on the contribution of the Member States.
Advancing the implementation of the Jagdeo Initiative is the role of the TMACs, each headed by a Member State country with responsibility for one of binding constraints to agricultural repositioning in the Caribbean Region identified by the Jagdeo Initiative.
The Initiative identifies and defines these key, crucial and binding constraints as including: limited financing and inadequate new investments, outdated; inefficient agricultural health and food safety systems; inadequate research and development; fragmented and unorganized private sector; insufficient land and water distribution and management systems; deficient and uncoordinated risk management measures; and inadequate transport systems are other elements outlined in the initiative.
The Jagdeo Initiative was conceptualised in 2003 and at the 25th CARICOM Head of Government meeting in 2004 the regional leaders agreed that there is a need for such a strategy and endorsed the process that would allow for agricultural development.
It has been endorsed throughout the Caribbean for its thorough analysis of the state of agriculture, its hard look at internal and external factors and for deepening the discussion of fundamental areas that need improvement, reform and/or initiation.

ECONOMIES OF SCALE

Garcia proffered the view that being part of the region means that member states benefit from economies of scale.
“Instead of having to address each constraint by themselves each country does a part and the benefits are spread across the region,” he said.
According to him, the region has to make use of, what he calls, “territorial planning” and advance integration.
Garcia maintained that in going the route of economies of scale, the overarching coordination mechanism is critical.
However, he stressed that at the end of the day, it comes back to the leadership at the country level. “It is not that policies are not implemented and the region cannot move forward, but the input and commitment from each country needs to be there,” Garcia said.
He stressed that the three main areas of focus in moving the region forward through agriculture are training and education, marking and market access and competition – all in the interest to make the region more resilient when it come to food security.

RESILIENCE

Garcia noted that along with the Jagdeo Initiative, the region has several policies, including the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy, is building the Region’s resilience.
He acknowledged the fact that many see the many policies and are of the opinion that much is happening, but pointed out that Action Plans for the polices are being developed to advance them.
According to him, these processes take time, particularly since it is a matter of gaining a consensus from 15 countries before moving forward with plans for development.
Relative to the major ripple effect of changes in the food supply demand dynamic that is impacting the Caribbean, the Agriculture and Industry Programme Manager noted that the region’s problem is access.
“When prices go up we spend more and it all goes back to the fact that we need to be more productive,” he said.
Garcia acknowledged that there is much potential in the region, but the region continues to import food at a cost of billions each year.
The Agriculture and Industry Programme Manager said the region needs to change the agriculture paradigm by:
* Placing more emphasis on cross border investment;
* Increase in trade in the Region;
* Eating local and the reduction of trade barriers, among other initiatives.
“It is more difficult to trade in the region than outside the region,” Garcia said, “Here is where the question of quality comes in. We need wholesome high quality food.”
According to him, the region’s focus must look at a wider scope and through close collaboration the region will move forward with its different initiatives.
Garcia maintained that agriculture is the way forward for the Caribbean Region, expressly since it has many roles, contributing to the structure and well being of families, the economy and environmental conservation, if done right.