Home News Private Sector must lead in quest to strengthen regional food security –...
As CARICOM heads of government and stakeholders work assiduously to make the region food secure, a call to action was made to the private sector, recognizing the important role the sector can play in making the food security dream a reality.
The private sector in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was called upon to take the lead in strengthening regional food security, driving economic development, and stimulating investment in the agriculture sector.
Ambassador David Prendergast, Director, Sectoral Programmes at the CARICOM Secretariat, underlined the private sector’s role while speaking on May 13, at the opening of the Caribbean Poultry Association’s (CPA) Eighth International Technical Symposium and Exhibition in Jamaica. 
He delivered remarks before the keynote address by Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica. Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Jamaica, and CPA President, Mr. Hamant Mahabir, also spoke at the opening ceremony.
“This symposium underscores the fundamental importance of the poultry industry to our Region. Poultry is, without question, the most consumed meat in all CARICOM countries, accounting for over 75% of total meat consumption. The industry’s role is absolutely critical in strengthening regional food security, driving economic development, creating employment, fostering intra-regional trade, and stimulating investment in the agricultural sector,” Amb. Prendergast said.
He added, “We believe that the private sector, led by organisations like the CPA, must be at the forefront of this effort. The Region’s role is to provide a conducive ecosystem that fosters and encourages economic growth and development, as well as developing policies and programmes that promote increased intra-regional trade in poultry, which will, in turn, stimulate essential cross-border investment and production. We are actively implementing the Regional Trade in Animals and Animal Products, and we are anticipating that the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) will approve a pre-clearance mechanism and framework from which the sector will benefit.”
Mr. Shaun Baugh Programme Manager, Agriculture and Agro-industrial Development at the Secretariat, is also participating in the three-day symposium and made a presentation during a technical session on 14 May on ‘Unlocking the Potential for Value-Added Poultry in CARICOM’.
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Uncertainties in the global trade arena and impacts from natural disasters in the Region are among the factors that have necessitated an extension to the regional food security initiative.
The 25 by 2025 Initiative, which targeted the reduction of the Region’s more than $6B food import bill by 25 percent by year-end, has now been extended to 2030. New goals have also been added to the Initiative.
Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana and Lead Head of Government with responsibility for agriculture and food security in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, made the announcement earlier this year on Friday, 21 February 2025, at the end of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados.
While acknowledging the significant progress that was made to date under the Initiative, the President had pointed to the devastating consequences of Hurricane Beryl on the agriculture sector and continuing global supply chain disruptions.
Given the current situation, he said then, that the Region has established a “holistic framework” to build a resilient, sustainable, and competitive industry and food system that will encourage participation, particularly, of young people and women.
Food security dashboard
In a significant step toward bolstering food security in the Region, CARICOM, in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), launched the Caribbean Real-Time Food Security Monitoring Dashboard.
The digital platform, unveiled in April, offers live updates on food security conditions across 11 Caribbean nations: Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Data is being collected through random digit dialling to consumers. The surveys will collect data on demographics, food security, livelihoods, coping strategies, local market conditions, and respondents’ primary concerns.
This approach supports rich collection to provide valuable insights into the diverse issues people are facing across different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
The Dashboard also shows other factors related to food security, such as weather, hazards risks, population and macro-economic situation.
This will contribute to more informed national planning and more strategic engagement with international development agencies.
Governments will be better positioned to identify opportunities for programmes and measures to enhance food security and develop more resilient food systems.
