FAO at the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2024: Advancing the priorities of Caribbean Small Island Developing States towards achieving the 2030 Agenda

FAO delivered an official FAO statement at the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2024 discussion on" Advancing the priorities of Caribbean Small Island Developing States towards achieving the 2030 Agenda ".

 

In advancing the priorities of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) towards achieving the 2030 Agenda, it is crucial to address the multifaceted challenges they face, particularly in the realm of food security and nutrition. While many Caribbean SIDS have made significant strides in reducing undernourishment levels to less than five percent, poverty and unemployment persist as main constraints to accessing healthy and nutritious food. 

Elevated national food prices, weak currencies and lower economic growth prospects continue to constrain access to food for many net-food-importing developing countries and vulnerable communities. As an average, Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the highest cost of a healthy diet compared to other world’s regions in 2021.  

Caribbean SIDS are vulnerable to extreme weather events, which adversely impact not only economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, industry, and commerce, but also social sectors such as housing stock and settlements, health, education, infrastructure and, of course, food security and nutrition. They often affect the most vulnerable groups to a greater extent.  

Effective governance emerges as one the key factor in enhancing these challenges, characterized by transparency, predictability, and results-oriented approaches. National policies and action plans serve as vital foundations for advancing Caribbean SIDS towards food and nutrition security.  

It is important to strengthen capacity, quality, access to and use of reliable data, evidence, and analysis to inform, monitor, assess and revise the impact of decisions and interventions. 

Market transparency and access to up-to-date and credible data and information are essential for reducing uncertainty and volatility and for guiding informed policy decisions, particularly during periods of crisis. Mechanisms to achieve this must be supported and strengthened. Appropriate data and indicators need to be produced and used to accurately assess and guide agrifood systems' transformation within rapidly evolving global, national, and local contexts.  Data should be tailored to national needs and disaggregated by sex, age, territorial location and other dimensions where necessary so as to leave no one behind.