Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2025 set for Sept 29 – Oct 3

Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2025 (CWA) is to take place in St Kitts and Nevis under the theme “Sowing Change, Harvesting Resilience: Transforming Our Caribbean Food Systems for 2025 and Beyond”. According to Dr Wendell Samuel, Senior Economic Adviser and Acting Assistant Secretary-General (SG) at the Caricom Secretariat, “The Caribbean Week of Agriculture continues to serve as the premier regional platform for raising awareness and promoting investments in agriculture and food and nutrition security…It plays a pivotal role in reshaping public perception, stimulating meaningful engagement and supporting the growth of the region’s food systems.”
The event is expected to promote the exchange of innovations in climate-smart agriculture, the sharing of lessons learned and the forging of purposeful partnerships across the region, says Caricom. Feature events will include Open Day & Marine Expo, award ceremonies, technical presentations and exhibitions, and the 3rd Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Honey Show, among others.
The week will also have a daily thematic focus such as ‘25 by 2025: Youth and Women’ on Sept 29 and ‘Agri R&D for Climate Resistance and Survival’ on Oct 1.
A virtual launch of the Caribbean Community’s premier agricultural conference was held Tuesday, July 15. In his feature address at the launch, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources of St Kitts and Nevis, Samal Duggins, juxtaposed the challenges facing the region’s agriculture sector occasioned by extreme weather events, high shipping costs and logistical hurdles with the resilience of farmers, officials, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs. Ambassador David Prendergast, Director of Sectoral Programmes in the Directorate of Economic Integration, Innovation and Development (EIID), had noted that the event will bring together a wide cross-section of stakeholders.
These include agricultural planners, policymakers, farmers, producers, private sector actors, development partners, academic and research institutions, and regional organisations. Their collective participation, he said, underscores the region’s shared commitment to inclusive dialogue and transformational change in Caribbean agriculture.
Outlining the youth agenda at CWA 2025 during the launch, Chair of the Caricom Youth Advisory Body, Ms Teesha Mangra said that the event will spotlight themes that matter most to her generation, including circular agriculture, the youth economy, digital market access, agri-innovation, inclusion of marginalised youth in food systems, agri-education, transitioning into entrepreneurship and regional youth collaboration for climate and food resilience. Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), H.E. Dr Manuel Otero, noted that this year’s theme for CWA is both timely and appropriate and reflects the spirit of innovation and urgency needed to renew the Region’s commitment to securing a sustainable future for the agricultural sector, while also showcasing the very soul of the Caribbean, rooted in resilience.