as Guyana, CARICOM look to intensify efforts to achieve food security goals

ALTHOUGH the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has made significant progress in achieving its food production goals, much more investments would be required for the region to meet its ambitious 2025 targets.

That was according to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, during his address at the launch of the third regional Agri-Investment Forum and Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal, Georgetown, on Friday.

This year’s expo will be held under the theme “Accelerating Investment in Vision 25 by 2025,” and Mustapha, who chairs the special ministerial task force for food production and food security at CARICOM, said that this year’s agenda will see officials from both the government and private technologies intensify the region’s efforts to reduce its food-import bill by 25 per cent in the next two years.

“It is the expectation that together we will explore innovative financing models, harness cutting-edge technologies and amplify the impact of our collective efforts to propel us forward,” Mustapha said during his address.

He related that some US$7.5 billion in investments is needed for the region to achieve its goals.
“Agri Investment Forum and Expo 2023 will provide a platform to deliberate, discuss, strategise and measure the outcome of our progress since the establishment of the ministerial task force to drive food production and reduce the food-import bill in CARICOM,” Mustapha said.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, acknowledged the efforts thus far to address the region’s food security needs.
“The actions of the regional leaders have sent a very clear message,” Prime Minister Phillips said adding: “Transforming the agri-food system of the region will take the effort of each and every stakeholder in our region. This goal is not merely a financial consideration. By nurturing our regional agriculture sector, we empower our economies, strengthen our food security, promote sustainable practices, and preserve our cultural heritage.”

Continued collaborations, he said, will be pursued at this year’s forum to strengthen international trade and domestic self-sufficiency for the region.
Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha said: “There must be increased bilateral co-operation between countries; there must be increased public-private partnerships, and there must be an enabling environment for large-scale investments.”

According to the minister, several international organisations have already signalled their interest to participate in this year’s forum.
“We will discuss vital topics, ensuring that our actions are not only impactful today but also sustainable for generations to come,” Mustapha said.
Further, acknowledging the need for more investments, the Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Komal Singh, said that key players will now have to establish concrete logistic approaches to address the remaining gaps in the region.

Singh said: “It is critical at this point in time that the private sector take the initiative to work on a more aggressive regional logistics approach, where we can move our products and services easily around the region.”

He drew attention to the remaining non-tariff barriers that restrict trade in some nations across the region.
“We must also not neglect the opportunity to address the regional trade barriers which currently cause limitations to market growth,” Singh said.

At the 33rd Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM held in Belize back in 2022, it was announced that Guyana would host the region’s first agriculture Regional Agri-Investment Forum and Expo. The second was held in Trinidad & Tobago later that same year.
This year, in Guyana, the conference will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, from October 20-22.