Regional leaders have called for greater productivity, investment, innovation and cooperation to transform Caribbean agriculture, as the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) officially opened at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on Sunday, September 27.
The milestone staging is being held under the theme “The New F.A.C.E. of Caribbean Food Systems”, with a focus on Food Security, Agri-Business Development, Climate-Smart Technologies and Export Expansion.
Delivering the keynote address, Prime Minister of Jamaica, Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, said the region must use the challenges confronting agriculture as an opportunity to modernise the sector, raise productivity and strengthen its ability to withstand future shocks.
“Our ambition must extend beyond restoring what was lost. We must use the reconstruction process to modernize our agriculture sector, improve its productivity, and strengthen its capacity to withstand future shocks,” the Prime Minister said.
Drawing on Jamaica’s recovery following Hurricane Melissa, Prime Minister Holness said agricultural reconstruction must be supported by sustained investment in irrigation, mechanisation, research, technology, agricultural extension services and infrastructure connecting farms to markets. He also called for more efficient regulation to support investments seeking to move quickly and incorporate new technologies.
“Productivity must become the central organizing principle around agricultural policy,” he said.
The Prime Minister also urged the region to make agricultural technology more accessible to small and medium-sized farmers and to create conditions in which young people can see farming, agro-processing and agricultural technology as viable and rewarding careers. He said the sector must increasingly be recognised as an industry with strong potential for innovation, enterprise and wealth creation.
He further called for stronger public-private partnerships, long-term supply arrangements that give farmers greater certainty of markets, deeper linkages between agriculture and tourism, and a more export-oriented agricultural sector supported by efficient shipping, logistics, cold storage and regional trade.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, MP, said the 20th staging of CWA comes at a time when agriculture is increasingly linked to the Caribbean’s ability to feed itself, create sustainable livelihoods, generate economic opportunities, strengthen rural communities and build greater resilience and self-reliance.
“Resilience cannot begin after the shock. It must be built before it,” Minister Green said, reflecting on Jamaica’s agricultural recovery following Hurricane Melissa.
Minister Green said CWA 2026 must confront longstanding constraints to agricultural growth, including access to financing, dependence on imported agricultural inputs, regional transportation and trade barriers, and the need to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart technologies.
“The true measure of CWA 2026 will not be the quality of the conversations we have here in Jamaica, but what follows,” he said.
He noted that the CWA programme creates space for governments, farmers and fisherfolk, the private sector, financial institutions, researchers and development partners to move these discussions forward through technical sessions, high-level plenary discussions, ministerial meetings, business engagements, the Exhibition and Trade Show and other activities.
Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Integration, Innovation and Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Wendell Samuel, said recent global disruptions have underscored the need for the Caribbean to strengthen regional production and build more resilient food systems.
“Food security cannot be outsourced,” Dr. Samuel said.
He said the next phase of the regional agricultural agenda must focus on modern, resilient and technologically enabled food systems capable of increasing production, expanding regional trade, attracting investment, creating jobs and improving nutrition outcomes.
“This year’s Caribbean Week of Agriculture is therefore more than a conference. It’s a renewed call to action,” he said.
Dr. Samuel also stressed that the future of Caribbean agriculture must be equitable, creating opportunities for youth, women, indigenous communities and rural populations. He highlighted the growing participation of young people in agriculture and said their energy, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit will be critical to the region’s agricultural future.
The opening ceremony also recognised outstanding contributions to agriculture and youth participation across the Caribbean.
Dywany St. John of Dominica was named CARICOM Young Farmer of the Year 2026, highlighting the contribution of a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs to the region’s food-security and development agenda.
The St. Vincent Girls’ High School of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines received the CARICOM “I Am Agriculture: Youth in Agriculture” Award and a cash award of US$1,700. The recognition underscored the importance of creating greater opportunities for girls and young women to participate in agriculture, including in science, technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership.
Sean Garbutt, Sales and Marketing Director at Walkerswood Caribbean Food, was named the Ministers of Agriculture CARICOM Farmer of the Year 2026.
Prime Minister Holness said the achievements of the region’s farmers demonstrate what Caribbean agriculture can accomplish when ingenuity is supported by appropriate investment, technology and public policy.
The opening ceremony set the tone for a week focused on agricultural investment, climate resilience and technology, regional trade and export expansion, fisheries and aquaculture, and the continued participation of youth and women in transforming Caribbean food systems.
Across the featured addresses, a common message emerged: the success of CWA 2026 will ultimately be measured by the investments mobilised, partnerships established, reforms implemented and practical actions that follow the week’s discussions.
-30-
