Virtual Launch of the Eighteenth Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA)

Distinguished authorities:

It is an honor to participate in this Virtual Launch of the Eighteenth Caribbean Week of Agriculture representing the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

I am delighted to see the strong participation of CARICOM member states in this event.

We know that agrifood systems are vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Transforming our agrifood systems is essential for eradicating poverty, ending hunger, improving nutrition and access to healthy diets. It will also ensure that our food production is more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

In this regard, let me outline the current situation in our region.

Our latest estimates show that hunger worldwide stayed about the same from 2021 to 2022. However, it is still much higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting about 9.2% of the global population, or 735 million people.

If we don't make significant changes, over 600 million people will suffer from hunger by 2030. This means we are moving further away from the Sustainable Development Goals related to food security and nutrition, and we need to take concrete actions.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, 43 million people still suffer from hunger, and 247.8 million face moderate or severe food insecurity. While the region has made some progress, these numbers still hinder sustainable development efforts.

Subregional trends show that hunger decreased in South America, stayed the same in Mesoamerica, but increased in the Caribbean. In 2022, 7.2 million people in the Caribbean experienced hunger, with Haiti being one of the most affected countries in the world.

Although the situation is still complex, some progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition gives us hope. Latin America and the Caribbean was the only region in the world to remarkably reduce hunger, with around 3 million fewer people suffering from it.

I hope this positive trend continues and we will see sooner progress in the Caribbean to keep moving forward together to eradicate hunger for all.

I highlight the significant efforts and compromise of CARICOM to tackle these challenges and seize opportunities to transform agriculture, food security, and address the impact of climate change in the Caribbean. SIDS are priority countries for FAO’s work, and we continue to reinforce strategies to support sustainable development and resilience strategies.

We have witnessed how the Caribbean region faces a unique set of challenges in the context of food production and climate change, due to the geographic location, small landmasses, and reliance on agriculture and tourism.

FAO’s work on climate change remains critically relevant and Caricom members highlighted these priorities during the last FAO Regional Conference that was held in Georgetown, Guyana.

The impact of climate change on small island states is evident, and our joint efforts are more important than ever to address this situation. Some of our initiatives in this area include:

Scaling up the Hand in Hand Initiative in the subregion, focusing on water management, including irrigation, and supporting women and youth in Agriculture to improve livelihoods and introduce climate-smart technologies, while also promoting farmer exchanges among young farmers.

FAO is working in the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management group within the CARICOM Agriculture Cluster, focusing on Caribbean agricultural sustainability. We are also developing a Regional Plan for Genetic Resources, an Emergency Response Strategy, and promoting climate-smart irrigation.

We have been introducing digital and geospatial tools to face climate change's impact and we are integrating Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation into Fisheries and Agricultural Land Use Planning.

Additionally, FAO is developing protocols to enhance Early Warning and Anticipatory Action for agricultural disaster risk management.

FAO maintains a long-standing relationship on data and statistics with CARICOM member states. We continue to support the implementation of the CARICOM Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics and are preparing to enhance this collaboration with the implementation of the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and the Assessment of the Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet.

We are transforming value chain development in the sub-region by facilitating public-private sector partnerships and improving access to inputs, technologies, and finance.

FAO continues supporting the 25 x 2025 initiative, aiming for a 25% reduction in food imports by 2025. Our integrated approach focuses on improving production and productivity using modern technologies and digital solutions. For example, the FAO-Mexico-CARICOM Resilient Caribbean Initiative, which addresses the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and strengthens school feeding programs.

FAO recognizes the importance of investment fora in the sub-region, such as the Guyana Investment Forum.

I reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening partnerships with multiple stakeholders, other UN agencies and other key cooperation partners, such as IICA, to further these goals.

Finally, I would like to underline the newly approved CELAC Food Security and Nutrition Plan for 2024-2030, which received unanimous support from all 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This consensus marks an extraordinary opportunity to advance the implementation of measures and policies dedicated to eradicating hunger and malnutrition through a comprehensive food systems management approach.

This initiative transcends political ideologies and national boundaries, emphasizing our collective responsibility to tackle hunger as a global, regional and national issue.

Our collaborative efforts are making significant strides in addressing the challenges posed by climate change and other threats. We look forward to continuing our work together to build a better production, a better nutrition, a better environment, and better life. Leaving no one behind.

Thank you