Regional efforts to strengthen food security and transform Caribbean agriculture will take centre stage when Jamaica hosts the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture from September 27 to October 2. The six-day event, to be held at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny, will bring regional attention to some of the sector’s most pressing priorities, from investment and export expansion to climate resilience and progress towards regional food-security targets.
Staged under the theme “The New F.A.C.E. of Caribbean Food Systems,” CWA 2026 will feature high-level plenary discussions examining how the region can unlock greater private-sector investment in agriculture and fisheries, overcome barriers to moving agricultural products across regional markets, and accelerate the adoption of climate-smart technologies. Ministerial meetings are also high on the agenda, as the region’s leaders prioritize policy and trade discussions.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has underscored the need for the discussions at CWA 2026 to translate into tangible outcomes for the region.
“We must come out of CWA with definitive action about the things that are needed to truly grow the sector in the shortest possible time,” Minister Green said at the official launch of CWA 2026 earlier this year.
That action-oriented focus will extend across 75 technical sessions during the week, covering issues including digital agriculture and artificial intelligence, fisheries and aquaculture, climate resilience, youth participation, agribusiness development and investment.
Investment will also feature prominently on the agenda. A high-level plenary on Unlocking Private Sector Partnerships and Expanding Investments in Agriculture and Fisheries Development will explore opportunities to mobilize greater private-sector participation and will include the presentation of agricultural investment opportunities. Export expansion will receive similar attention, with discussions tackling some of the practical barriers affecting Caribbean trade, including shipping and logistics, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, infrastructure, value-chain linkages and incentives.
The programme will also put the region’s Vision 25 by 2025+5 initiative under the microscope, with Ministers of Agriculture expected to examine progress, ongoing initiatives and the roadmap towards the region’s 2030 food-security and food-systems transformation targets.
CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, said the four pillars of CWA 2026 remain critical to the region’s wider agricultural agenda.
“As CARICOM advances implementation of the 25 by 2025+5 Initiative to expand production and reduce food imports, these pillars remain essential to building a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable regional food system,” Dr. Barnett said at the launch.
Beyond the Conference Room
CWA 2026 will extend beyond technical and policy discussions, with delegates getting a first-hand look at Jamaican agriculture through field visits to highly productive farms and agro-processing facilities. The visits will showcase aspects of the country’s production systems, technologies and value-added operations. Additionally, delegates will participate in a tourism linkage experience in Falmouth, Trelawny, providing an opportunity to experience the parish’s tourism product and the connections between agriculture and tourism. The week will also feature anExhibition and Trade Show, alongside business-to-business engagements and bilateral meetings, designed to facilitate engagement between international partners and Ministers.
Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture and Chairman of the CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, has described CWA as an important vehicle for translating regional priorities into practical solutions.
“CWA is more than an annual meeting; it is a promoter of practical solutions in support of food security,” Minister Mustapha said.
First staged in Trinidad and Tobago, CWA has evolved into a major regional forum for advancing agriculture and rural development. The 20th staging will bring together over 650 delegates representing 34 countries, alongside Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Fisheries, farmers and fishers, academia, government and non-government organizations, regional and international organizations, standards bodies and members of the diplomatic corps.
Activities begin on Sunday, September 27, with the Opening Ceremony and Welcome Reception, followed by four days of technical sessions, plenaries, exhibitions and other engagements. The week will culminate on Friday, October 2, with high-level ministerial deliberations focused on turning the week’s discussions into concrete action for the future of Caribbean food systems.
For Additional Information, please contact the Ministry’s Corporate Communication & Public Relations Division.
Email: pr@moa.gov.jm
Website: cwa2026.caricom.org
