2006 Regional Report La contribución del IICA a la agricultura y al desarrollo de las comunidades rurales en la CARIBBEAN Region Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture © Inter-American Institute for Cooperaation on Agriculture (IICA). 2007 IICA encourages the fair use of this document. Proper citation is requested. This publication is also available in electronic (PDF) format from IICA’s Web site at http://www.iica.int Editorial Coordination: Jorge Suárez / Kattia Núñez Mechanical Editing: Olga Patricia Arce Layout: Ana Catalina Lizano / Karla Cruz Cover Design: Ana Catalina Lizano Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture IICA’s contributions to agriculture and the development of rural communities in the Caribbean Region / IICA. – San Jose, C.R. : IICA, 2007. 80 p. ; 20.5 cm ISBN13: 978-92-9039- 1. Agriculture 2. Rural development 3. International cooperation 4. Technical aid 5. Caribbean Region I. IICA II. Title AGRIS DEWEY E50 338.181 San Jose, Costa Rica 2007 Table of Contents Foreword 5 1. Introduction 7 2. Executive Summary 9 3. The state of agriculture and rural life in the Caribbean in 2006 13 4. Results of the implementation of the Regional Technical Cooperation Agenda in the Caribbean during 2006 31 IICA’s contribution to the repositioning of agriculture and rural life 31 Promoting trade and the competitiveness of agribusiness 33 Strengthening agricultural health and food safety systems 36 Promoting the sustainable management of natural resources and the environment 38 Strengthening rural communities based on the territorial approach 39 Introducing technology and innovation for the modernization of agriculture and rural life 40 Results of inter-agency cooperation 42 Cooperation with FAO 42 Cooperation with PAHO 43 Cooperation with other regional and international organizations 43 5. Executive Summaries by country 45 Appendix I: Publications 69 Appendix II: Acronyms 73 Appendix III: List of professional staff in the Caribbean 75 Contacts 77 3 Table of Contents Foreword he Inter-American to achieving the goals and objectives of Institute for Cooperation the Regional Transformation Programme on Agriculture (IICA) is for Agriculture/Caribbean Community pleased to present its Annual Agricultural Policy, the Hemispheric Agro Report for 2006 for the Plan 2003-2015 and the Global Food TCaribbean, entitled “IICA’s Contribution Security Programme and the Millennium to the Development of Agriculture and Development Goals. Within this major Rural Communities in the Caribbean framework, during 2006, the Institute Region”. This report marks the end of an vigorously promoted the concept of the institutional process of being responsive New Agriculture and initiated the process to the needs of clients and stakeholders, of forging an alliance with the media to through the participatory preparation enlist public support and empathy for the of National and Regional Agendas. The process of agricultural repositioning. annual report and the accountability seminar reflect the Institute’s guidelines I wish to thank our stakeholders and on accountability and transparency in the clients for their oft-repeated sentiments conduct of its activities. of appreciation for the excellent work done. This has been possible due to the The report is presented in two main dedication, team work and commitment to sections. The first describes the Situation excellence of the entire group of personnel and Outlook for Agriculture in the Region – Representatives, Regional Specialists, and regional actions that add value to National Professionals and support actions at the national level. These regional staff – working for the Caribbean in our activities are described within the strategic Offices, and the Regional Directorate at areas of: Repositioning Agriculture and Head Office. I wish to thank them most Rural Life, Trade and the Competitiveness sincerely. of Agribusiness, Agricultural Health and Food Safety, Strengthening of Rural We at IICA, look forward to providing Communities, Technology and Innovation continued service to the agricultural sector Systems and Sustainable Management of in the Caribbean and making a positive Natural Resources and the Environment. contribution to sustainable development at both the national and regional levels. The second section presents the Executive Accordingly, we would be pleased to obtain Summaries of the Annual Reports of our feedback from you on how to improve the 14 member countries in the Caribbean. Institute’s performance at both the national and regional levels. During 2006, the Institute remained committed to the repositioning of agriculture in the Caribbean. In this H. Arlington D. Chesney context, it actively supported the Director of Operations, Caribbean implementation of the Jagdeo Initiative Region and Advisor to the Director as the region’s initial but focused response General on Caribbean Affairs, IICA 5 Foreword I. Introduction esponding to the The Jagdeo Initiative (the Initiative) continued opportunities continued to serve as a guide for the and challenges offered preparation of the Institute’s Caribbean by the agricultural regional work plan which endeavoured sector in the Caribbean to respond to the 10 Key Binding Rin 2006, the Inter-American Institute Constraints identified therein. IICA for Cooperation on Agriculture continued to promote the Initiative at all (IICA) advanced its contributions levels throughout the year and capitalized to the development of agriculture on a media workshop, which it organized and rural life through its actions at and hosted during the Caribbean Week both the country and regional levels. of Agriculture (CWA) in the Bahamas, The Institute continued to promote to sensitize over 30 of the region’s vigorously the New Agriculture and the media personnel to the Initiative and to opportunities associated with it. These the importance of the regional efforts at opportunities included those derived revitalizing the agriculture sector in the from advances in agro-biotechnology, Caribbean and addressing solutions to agrotourism linkages, the growth of some of the many constraints faced by the herbal industry, and openings in the countries. greenhouse technology and organics. IICA also embarked on a new area of With funding from CTA, the Institute potential importance for the region: embarked on a regional project “Building agro-energy, with the preparation of a Caribbean Agricultural Monitoring and a draft regional strategy that can be Evaluation System” which represents used as the basis for the development part of an ongoing process of defining of an agro-energy industry in the appropriate mechanisms for measuring Americas, with specific focus on the the progress of the Agro Plan 2003- Caribbean region. 2015 and the Initiative. The Caribbean is the first region in the Americas to The Institute also initiated, at a workshop implement such a project that satisfies in Tobago, the process of reorienting the the mandates of both the Hemispheric agricultural research and development and Regional Heads. strategy so that it could satisfy the requirements of the New Agriculture. In October 2006, the Institute and the This would include activities throughout Ministry of Agriculture and Marine the entire agri-product chain and the Resources of the Bahamas, in association involvement of both the public and with the CARICOM Secretariat, CARDI private sectors. and FAO, hosted its most successful 7 INTRODUCTION Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) and projects, published a number of to date. The focus of the week was newsletters, technical documents and Sustaining Marine and Agriculture reports, under the various themes of Resources into the Future. Widened work, which were widely distributed participation from different sectors and among stakeholders and beneficiaries. from the Caribbean, North and Central These are available from IICA country America and Europe, solidified the offices in the region. Information on growing popularity of this event on the the Institute and its programmes in Caribbean calendar – as one that sets the the region can be obtained from the stage for agri-initiatives and fora in the websites: Caribbean. • IICA Country websites at www.iica.int The Alliance for Sustainable • Caribbean Regional Agricultural Development of Agriculture and the Policy Network (CaRAPN) – Rural Milieu (the Alliance) continued www.carapn.net to receive administrative, technical • Caribbean Network of Rural and logistical support from IICA, in Women Producers (CANROP) – collaboration with the CARICOM www.canrop.org Secretariat (CCS) and the Food and • Caribbean Agribusiness Association Agriculture Organization (FAO). The (CABA) – www.cabaregional.org constituent members of the Alliance: the Forum of Ministers of Agriculture of the Caribbean, the Caribbean The Institute began the process of Agribusiness Association (CABA), developing a website that reflects the the Caribbean Agricultural Forum for work of the IICA Caribbean region, Youth (CAFY), the Caribbean Council which will add value to the already of Higher Education in Agriculture established country websites available (CACHE) and the Caribbean Network on www.iica.int. The IICA Caribbean of Rural Women Producers (CANROP), website, which will be launched in 2007, along with the Caribbean Regional promises to provide increased access to Agricultural Policy Network (CaRAPN) a wider range of relevant information all were represented at the CWA in on the regional programmes as well October. as focus more specifically