Linkages between weather extremes like heavy rainfall, including tropical storms, cyclones, flooding, drought, and climate variability, which are characteristic of weather patterns in the Caribbean, continue to be significant drivers of food insecurity, according to the most recent forecast issued by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRICS).
The May 2023 IRICS forecast projects an 82 percent likelihood of El Niño conditions, beginning in the May to July period and called for urgent, expanded assistance to affected regions in order to protect livelihoods and increase access to food. The warning is unlikely to escape the attention of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries which, late last year, were tagged, among other regions of the world that are experiencing various levels of food security pressure.
The immediacy of the challenge has impelled the IRICS to provide country-specific recommendations on priorities for emergency responses to address existing humanitarian needs and anticipatory actions to ensure that short term interventions are implemented before new humanitarian needs materialize. Those recommendations reportedly include “provision of context-specific packages, including cash, productive inputs, and subsidies for staple crop, livestock, and poultry production.” The body is also advocating the development of water-saving community gardens and provision of health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition services to boost local food production and improve livelihood opportunities and food security.
Concerns over food security have already prompted CARICOM countries to undertake initiatives like the launch of a Regional Food Terminal which is being spearheaded by Guyana and Barbados and which will be stationed in Barbados. Once the actual creation of the Terminal, including the logistical infrastructure is completed, the facility will serve as a Centre from which essential foods can be transported to other parts of the region. To help shore up its food security credentials, the region has also undertaken to cut extra-regional food imports by 25% by 2025, a mission which will make demands on the capacity of CARICOM member states long accustomed to dependency on foreign foods, to embark on initiatives designed to produce greater volumes of what they consume, locally.
As part of the movement of the region towards its stated 25×2025 goal, a Special Regional Ministerial Taskforce on Food Production and Food Security (MTF), chaired by Guyana, has identified a number of priorities as the main areas of focus in pursuit of the Vision 25 by 2025. These include:
• The abolition of non-tariff barriers
• The removal of all non-tariff barriers to Regional Trade in Agricultural Produce
• De-risking of the Sector- Insurance and Alternate Financing
• The pursuit of Digital Agriculture
• Research and Development
• Review of the Common External Tariff (CET)
The MTF, working with the stakeholders, have identified poultry, table eggs, meat (goat, beef and pork), roots and tubers, niche vegetables and fruits as priority food items for regional cultivation. At the recent first regional forum, titled the First Food for Lunch Conversation, representatives from the regional private sector sought to discuss the various documented ways of tackling the challenge.
