Guyana targets global markets with energy, food security, biodiversity drive 

President Dr Irfaan Ali has highlighted Guyana’s efforts to strengthen energy security, develop its biodiversity resources, and expand its role in regional food security through international partnerships and technology.
Ali addressed these areas while delivering the feature address at the Clinton Global Initiative event, “Powering Scientific Breakthroughs”, at the Hilton Midtown Hotel in New York.
He said energy security is an important part of Guyana’s development transition and outlined the Government’s approach of building partnerships with stakeholders from different regions.
“Important in our transition is also energy, energy security. We’re investing and partnering heavily with countries all across the world. Our partnership on energy is diversified,” Ali said.
He said Guyana’s energy partnerships include stakeholders from the Middle East and the United States, while financing for energy projects is also being sourced from a range of institutions.
The President specifically referenced the US Export-Import Bank as part of the financing arrangements associated with Guyana’s energy development.
Biodiversity & forest management
Ali also pointed to Guyana’s efforts in biodiversity and forest management, highlighting the Global Biodiversity Alliance, which he said was launched over a year ago and now has 140 members.
The alliance includes resource institutions, academic institutions and countries, according to the President.
He said the initiative builds on Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy and the country’s approach to forest management and carbon markets.
“We have the largest carbon credit market system for standing forests. Our entire forest is certified jurisdictional scale, the lowest deforestation rate, and we have now developed a model for tropical forests for the world,” Ali said.
He said Guyana’s experience in forest management and carbon credits provides an example of how a small country can contribute to global efforts to address climate and biodiversity issues.
Tech and partnerships
He also highlighted Guyana’s efforts to use technology and partnerships to expand agricultural production and contribute to food security in the Caribbean and beyond.
According to Ali, Guyana is seeking to position itself as a centre for food security, while exploring opportunities to access specialised markets, including in the Middle East.
He said the country has freshwater resources and arable land and is now seeking to apply technology and international expertise to increase agricultural capacity.
“We are looking at a specialised market in the Middle East because we have a lot of fresh water and a lot of arable land, and we are now applying the best of technology and bringing the best partnerships,” he said.
Ali identified the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) and ICA among the partnerships being pursued as part of this approach.
He said partnerships provide small countries with a means of accessing technology, human resources and financing without having to develop every capability independently.
The President said Guyana’s experience in biodiversity, forestry management, carbon markets, healthcare, digitisation, and food security demonstrates how partnerships can expand the capacity of a small state.
He argued that a country’s ability to contribute to global solutions should not be measured only by its geographical size or population.
“Many times, there is a misconception, I believe, that small countries do not possess the ability or the capacity to address global challenges and provide global solutions,” Ali said.
He said Guyana has sought to demonstrate otherwise by using its resources and building partnerships with international Governments, institutions and private-sector stakeholders.
Ali said the country’s approach is based on the belief that partnerships can help small states overcome limitations in financing, technology and human resources.
“The question, therefore, is not whether a small state can do everything itself. The question is, can we build partnerships that allow us to do what we could never do alone?” he said.