This is part of the EU’s larger €600 million effort to step up support to the most vulnerable African, Caribbean and Pacific countries hit by the global food crisis.Under this Food Security programme, the EU and CARIFORUM will work hand in hand with their respective national partners to target some of the most pressing bottlenecks to achieving a sustainable solution to food and nutrition security in the Caribbean Region.
European Commission Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships Mrs. Myriam Ferran said “In this dire context of global food crisis, I want to stress, the European Union’s commitment to supporting regional efforts towards more sustainable and resilient food systems in the Caribbean. The new EU programme that we are launching here today has consulted with national, regional and international partners and will promote food and nutrition security, particularly for groups in vulnerable situations. It will have a strong focus on facilitating investment as a key driver of growth and development of the agricultural and fishery sector.”
This project includes sustainable and climate-smart production processes of locally produced food, efficient and reliable regional distribution mechanisms, healthy consumption patterns, and resilient social protection structures. The programme will also advance the CARICOM joint commitment to reduce the Caribbean’s food import bill by 25% by 2025 and the Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy of the OECS.
The Secretary-General of CARICOM Dr Carla Barnett noted that food and nutrition security is now one of the highest priorities for CARICOM. “The Programme is expected to contribute to several critical outputs, including supporting research and investments in food production solutions, strengthening selected agriculture and fisheries value-chains at local and regional levels, and improving food processing capabilities to increase regional food distribution,” she stated.
Implementation of the project will start in December 2023 and will last for four years.
