Guyana, Brazil sign agreement to establish agri-innovation hub

Guyana will be the home to a Science, Technology, and Innovation Hub, a landmark development not just for the country, but for the entire Caribbean region.

On Tuesday, Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Brazil’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Brazil), Cleber Soares; and IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim signed the agreement to establish the hub Guyana.

IICA is the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.

This agreement paves the way for significant advancement in agriculture and the hub should be fully established within a year’s time. The hub will give local farmers access to cutting-edge technologies, strengthen climate resilience, and reduce the Caribbean’s dependence on food imports. Guyanese scientists will also have opportunities to train at Embrapa facilities in Brazil.

Called the EMBRAPA Science, Technologies, and Innovation Hub, the facility represents a turning point in how the Caribbean approaches food security. The partnership draws on Brazil’s decades of tropical agricultural expertise.

“Innovation is no longer optional. It is essential for our agricultural system and food security,” Minister Mustapha said.

With Guyana already leading the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Ministerial Task Force on food production, Minister Mustapha is confident that this venture will help Guyana drive agriculture and food security efforts.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim pointed to the value of Brazil’s expertise.

“We are in a tropical region in which climate change is a threat and Embrapa has developed methodologies that are very applicable to our conditions,” he said.

Importantly, he also highlighted the importance of engaging youth and building entrepreneurship as part of a new generation of Caribbean farmers.

Soares said Brazil’s expertise in growing a massive livestock and positively impacting food security was possible through decades of investment which led to the country becoming one of the world’s leading exporter of agricultural commodities.

“We are the biggest producer [and] export of food produced in the world but why its happened? Because we invest a lot in science and technology and innovation,” Soares said.