CWA 2025 puts spotlight on youth, women in agriculture

The Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) 2025 is expected to place youth and women at the centre of the regional agricultural agenda, highlighting their crucial role in shaping solutions for food security, economic development, and climate resilience.
The annual flagship event of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will run from September 29 to October 3 in St Kitts and Nevis under the theme “Sowing Change, Harvesting Resilience: Transforming Our Caribbean Food Systems for 2025 and Beyond”.

Organisers say this year’s edition aims to empower youth and women by giving them a strong voice in discussions that drive innovation, inclusivity, and resilience across the sector. By integrating their perspectives, CWA 2025 seeks to address both the development of agriculture in the region and the growing threats posed by climate change, positioning these groups as essential drivers of transformation.
The week-long programme will feature technical sessions, high-level meetings, and interactive activities, including the Youth AgriMarine Debate Competition; a honey show hosted by CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); and an Agriculture & Marine Expo (Open Day).
Discussions will focus on youth and women within the framework of the 25×25+5 regional food security initiative, climate resilience and survival, de-risking the regional food system, and finding funding solutions to boost agricultural innovation and growth. As customary, a Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Agriculture will also be convened.
Since its inception in 1998, the CWA has been hosted annually by CARICOM Member States and Associate Members, providing a platform for decision-makers in the public and private sectors to highlight the importance of agriculture and rural development. The event also brings together stakeholders across agriculture and related industries to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and create a unified vision for the sector.
The event is convened under the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu (The Alliance), with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the CARICOM Secretariat serving as lead collaborators. In 2002, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) joined the Secretariat to strengthen coordination and strategic oversight. Previous editions have also benefited from partnerships with institutions such as the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).
Since the first edition in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago, there have been 18 successful CWA gatherings. Most recently, St Vincent and the Grenadines hosted CWA 2024, attracting nearly 500 participants under the theme “Climate-Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future”, further highlighting the region’s commitment to resilience, sustainability, and transformation in the agricultural sector.
This year, organisers say, CWA 2025 promises to be a milestone for youth and women, giving them the tools, knowledge, and platforms to shape the Caribbean’s agricultural future.