THE national inception workshop for the “Gender-responsive Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems in the Caribbean” project was held on Wednesday, marking the commencement of a transformative initiative spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Canada.

The event, hosted at Regency Suites Hotel, Georgetown by the FAO’s Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, highlighted the collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture in Guyana to implement this innovative project locally.

With a significant funding allocation of CAD $10 million, this four-year project aims to foster the adoption of climate-smart technologies within viable agricultural value chains across eight Caribbean nations: Belize, Grenada, Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guyana.

The initiative is set to directly benefit up to 2,500 individuals, engaging over 30 farmer organisations, including those led by women and youth, during its implementation period. Despite focusing on eight countries, the project promises to deliver broad regional advantages to all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States.

Key elements of the project include addressing climate change impacts, enhancing the participation of youth and women in value chains, and building capacities among all value chain actors—ranging from seed suppliers to final consumers. This approach aims to increase market access and improve livelihoods across the region.

Priority will be given to the needs of youth, women, and producer organisations, ensuring equitable access to capacity-building and training activities. Additionally, the project will develop knowledge products to facilitate learning and introduce Climate Smart tools and technologies to boost efficiencies in production and agro-processing.

Following the workshop, the next steps include drafting a project inception report, an annual work plan and budget, as well as project reports, annual implementation reviews, technical reports, and a terminal report.

The workshop saw the participation of several key figures, including FAO representative, Dr. Gillian Smith; Director of Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture, Natasha Deonarine, and Deputy Director and Head of Co-operation at the High Commission of Canada in Guyana, Adam Loyer. Their involvement underscores the collaborative effort and commitment towards advancing climate-smart agricultural practices in the Caribbean.