The document discusses the challenges facing Caribbean countries in the agriculture sector, including high food import bills, rising food prices, poverty, and increased natural disasters due to climate change. It identifies the main subregional constraints as inadequate financing, inefficient regulations, weak research and development, lack of skilled workers, and poor infrastructure. Priority areas of intervention are identified as improving food and nutrition security, strengthening disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, supporting small-scale agriculture, and enhancing agricultural health and food safety systems. Resource mobilization and youth involvement are also highlighted as important cross-cutting issues.

1. Challenges and Outlook
for the Caribbean
Sub-Region

2. Background
• Small island and coastal states that is highly
vulnerable to natural (climatic) and economic
shocks.
• Agriculture includes fisheries and forestry

3. Context
oHigh food import bill
oRising and volatility of the prices of food
oHigh levels of poverty, malnutrition and NCDs
oIncreased intensity and frequency of natural disasters
oClimate change

4. Policy Objectives of the Caribbean
Transformation of the sector towards
market-oriented, internationally competitive
and environmentally sound production of
agriculture products
Increased production, productivity and world
market share
Increased diversification of processed
agriculture products
Improved food and nutrition security.

5. Main Challenges
• We agree with the main challenges put
forward, however the subregion identified
what it considers the main constraints at
present.

6. Subregional Constraints
 Inadequate Financing for and Investments
in the Sector.
 Inefficient and Outdated Agricultural Health
and Food Safety Regulation (Weak SPS
Framework).
 Dificient and Uncoordinated Risk
Management, including Praedial Larceny.

7. Subregional Challenges
 Ineffective Research and Development.
 Lack of Skilled Human Resources and
absorptive capacity.
 Weak Marketing Systems, Linkages and
Marketing Development.
 Fragmented and Unorganized Private
Sector.

8. Sub-Regional Challenges
 Inadequate Land and Water Resources
Distribution and Management Systems.
 Inadequate Transportation System.
 Inadequate focus on specific programmes
for marginalized and vulnerable groups
such as Youth, women and indigenous
people.

9. Priority Areas of Intervention
Food and Nutrition Security
Increase production and productivity levels of
through promotion of sustainable agricultural
systems and enterprises, post harvest technologies
& storage
Improve marketing and market access utilizing the
value chain, land related marketing services
Development and implementation of early warning
systems and for the monitoring of prices.
Promotion of changes in consumption patterns and
the right to food.

10. Priority Areas of Intervention
Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change
 Strengthen cooperation, coordination and
institutional capacities and capabilities for DRM &
CCA based on a sound statistical and data
management system.
Promote Climate Smart Agriculture, fisheries and
forestry best practices on a platform of South-
South cooperation
Improve disaster risk management systems through
the use of early warning systems and disaster
management plans.

11. Priority Areas of Intervention
Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change
 Promote the development of risk transfer
instruments for DRM, including insurance products
Improve systems and mechanisms to address
Praedial Larceny
 Improve the data base system for information
collection, processing and dissemination
Improve natural resource management for
sustainable use of land and water
 Promote the development of certified and quality
germplasm and genetics.

12. Priority Areas of Intervention
Small Scale Agriculture
Promote institutional strengthening of
producer organizations
 Improve productivity along the value chain
Promote backyard gardening
Improve access to markets
Promote land reform mechanism to facilitate
small producers

13. Priority Areas of Intervention
Agricultural Health and Food Safety
Improve Animal and Plant Health and Food Safety
Systems and infrastructure through:
 Institutional strengthening
 Capacity building
 Improved legal framework
 Enhance the capacity and capability to address
Trans-boundary diseases and reduce threats of
emerging and invasive species
Improve information systems, education and
communication

14. Cross cutting Issues
• While we agree with the priorities as
proposed we would like to highlight two
important cross cutting issues:
– Resource mobilization
– Sustainability of the development efforts through
involvement of youth and other mechanism such
as new technologies such as ICT platforms