Address by the Honourable Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, St. Kitts, at the Virtual Launch Ceremony of the 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA 2025).

The 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), hosted by St. Kitts and Nevis, represents a pivotal moment for the region’s agricultural sector. Under the theme “Sowing Change, Harvesting Resilience: Transforming Our Caribbean Food Systems for 2025 and Beyond,” the event seeks to address the pressing challenges and opportunities facing Caribbean agriculture. The CWA aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and investment to build a more sustainable, secure, and self-reliant food future for the region. The event serves as a platform to discuss and implement strategies to overcome the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean food system, exacerbated by climate change, global pandemics, and geopolitical instability.

The Caribbean faces a complex web of interconnected challenges impacting its food systems. Climate change manifests in more intense hurricanes, droughts, and floods, threatening agricultural production. Global events, including pandemics and conflicts, disrupt supply chains and create logistical hurdles, making it difficult to import essential goods and export agricultural products. High shipping costs and unreliable inter-island transport further complicate the movement of goods within the Caribbean, hindering regional trade and cooperation. These challenges highlight the fragility of the current system and emphasize the need for a transformative approach to food security and sovereignty.

Despite these challenges, the Caribbean agricultural sector also demonstrates remarkable resilience. Farmers, fishers, scientists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs are displaying ingenuity and adaptability in the face of adversity. This spirit of innovation and determination underscores the region’s capacity to develop sustainable and proactive systems that not only react to challenges but anticipate and mitigate them. The CWA aims to harness this resilience, providing a forum to share best practices, promote new technologies, and foster collaboration to build a more robust and adaptable agricultural sector.

The CWA 2025 serves as a call to action for the entire Caribbean region. It calls for a fundamental reimagining of how food is produced, processed, and protected. It emphasizes the need for investment, not only in financial terms but also in human capital and intellectual resources. Empowering youth and women in agriculture is crucial, as they represent the future of the sector. Crucially, the CWA advocates for stronger intra-regional linkages to reduce reliance on volatile global markets and overcome the logistical barriers that currently hamper regional trade.

The CWA aims to strengthen regional collaboration and knowledge sharing. The event program features engaging forums, technical workshops, youth dialogues, business networking opportunities, and field visits showcasing advancements in agro-processing, sustainable farming, and the green economy. It encourages the participation of various stakeholders, including farmers, fishers, policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs, to foster a comprehensive and inclusive approach to transforming Caribbean food systems. The event underscores the importance of learning from regional pioneers in climate change awareness and response, incorporating innovative platforms like the C-SAC initiative to drive transformative change.

The CWA emphasizes the critical need for regional self-sufficiency. By promoting intra-regional trade and reducing dependence on external markets, the Caribbean can better manage its food security and build more resilient food systems. Strengthening regional linkages will also facilitate the efficient movement of goods within the Caribbean, reducing transportation costs and mitigating the impact of global supply chain disruptions. This focus on regional cooperation aligns with the broader goal of achieving food sovereignty and ensuring that the Caribbean has greater control over its food production and distribution.

The CWA emphasizes the role of youth engagement in driving transformative change. It underscores the importance of involving young people not just as beneficiaries but as key drivers in shaping the future of Caribbean agriculture. This focus on youth engagement aims to foster a sense of ownership and empower the next generation to lead the transition towards more sustainable and resilient food systems. The CWA seeks to create opportunities for young people to contribute their ideas, skills, and energy to the transformation of the agricultural sector, ensuring its long-term viability and success. The event promotes platforms for youth dialogue, mentorship programs, and networking opportunities to facilitate their active participation in shaping the future of Caribbean agriculture.