Caribbean’s ’25 by 2025′ extended to 2030 with new ‘resilient, sustainable’ goals

At the recent 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Barbados, Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced the extension of the region’s ambitious 25 by 2025 food security initiative to 2030 with additional resilient and sustainable goals. The 25 by 2025 initiative was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to cut food imports by 25 per cent by 2025.

Now, the 2030 food security agenda will incorporate a tech-driven agricultural sector and includes greater participation from women and young people.

“We will now be expanding the focus to achieving not only food security but resilience, sustainability, and enhance technology with greater participation among women and youth by 2030.

“We are adding some additional goals, we were successful with expanding production notwithstanding hurricanes, storms, floods all of which destroyed production and productive capacity but our farmers, our policy makers have shown tremendous resilience,” President Ali said.

He described the current period in CARICOM as critical, not just from a trade and geopolitical standpoint but also regarding food production, food security, and rising food prices. During the recent heads of government, President Ali spoke about the rise in global prices for cereals, meat and dairy among other food items last year.

This year also presents additional concerns with increased climate-related challenges, rising transportation and logistics costs, and uncertainties in tariffs and trade rules. All of this will directly influence food costs both globally and within the Caribbean.

To navigate these mounting challenges, the Caribbean must adopt a strategic approach, President Ali stated.

As such, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) identified six projects to support the expansion – building capacity for Caribbean agriculture extension services, enhancing adaptive capacity of coastal communities, establishment of a digital fabrication lab, diversifying the Caribbean fruit crop industry, a bio-economic model in organic waste management and improve water security and climate resilience.