Remarks by WFP Country Director at Caribbean Week of Agriculture Opening Ceremony

Good morning, Hon. Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of CARICOM, Hon Ministers and other distinguished guests.

I’d like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to the Government and people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas for hosting this 13^th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, indeed a top-notch event.

These discussions come at a critical juncture in addressing food security and redoubling efforts to implement the CARICOM 25 by 25 initiative. COVID-19 truly demonstrated the fragility of the food systems in the Caribbean and while progress is being made, we must collectively do more.

The CARICOM Secretariat and WFP have been tracking the food security situation in the region since the onset of COVID-19 and that trend is quite alarming. Addressing these challenges requires a whole of society approach. The 6^th round of the Caribbean food security and livelihoods survey conducted in May this year revealed that over half of the English-speaking Caribbean is food insecure. Respondents are purchasing cheaper or less preferred foods and smaller quantities than usual. Livelihood disruptions appear to be worsening since August 2020 when we did the 5^th round of the survey.  With nearly 60% of respondents facing disruptions. Unaffordability of inputs continues to be the main driver respondents involved in ag and fishing continue to report high cost of inputs.

We’re also seeing with each successive round a growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots, risking leaving the most vulnerable population further behind.

Against this backdrop the 25 by 2025 initiative is critical to reduce imports by galvanising support and investment in agri-food systems, ramping up production and productivity, and enhancing intra-regional trade, including addressing the issue of transport. The initiative, while it may not be a panacea, is a step towards building resilient food systems and supply chains in the region.

So, for the WFP in the Caribbean, we partner with regional institutions international partners and national governments to develop opportunities to strengthen disaster risk management disaster risk finance, social protection and food systems and these partnerships help to ensure that all, including the most vulnerable, have consistent access to nutritious food. As the lead agency in humanitarian logistics, we also have a unique view of the transport challenges in the region and the significance of re-imagining logs in the Caribbean to support efforts for improving food security is clear.

We also need to look at the climate crisis and food security nexus. For instance, specific climate hazards such as rain invariability increasing heat stresses and drought negatively impact the availability of food as do other events such as tropical cyclones.

Finally, my presence here is a testament to WFPs commitment to the governments and people across the Caribbean region. I’d like to encourage all stakeholders present to robustly engage in the forthcoming discussions throughout the week and to look for those solutions that Dr. Clarke so eloquently addressed.

Thank you very much.

Source: CARICOM TODAY